Host Specificity of Anthonomus Elutus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), A Potential Biological Control Agent of Wetland Nightshade (Solanaceae) in Florida (Report‪)‬

Wetland-nightshade (also known as aquatic soda apple), Solanum tampicence Dunal (Solanaceae) is a prickly perennial shrub that has the potential to become a serious weed in Florida wetland habitats (Fox & Bryson 1998; Coile 1993). A synonym that has been used in the past is Solanum houstonii Dunal but the currently accepted name is Solanum tampicense. It was first recorded in the Dry Tortugas (Monroe County), Florida in 1974, and found 9 years later (1983) in mainland southwest Florida (Charlotte County). Two years later, it was reported in Highlands County (at Fisheating Creek Wildlife Refuge), and it was detected at Glades, De Soto, and Lee counties in the early 1990s. How this plant arrived in Florida in the 1970s is not known but it is spreading rapidly, forming moderate to dense stands replacing native vegetation mainly in wetland areas, open marsh, and in shaded woody areas (oak hammocks) at the edge of rivers. Wetland-nightshade infests a significant portion of the Peace River system. Currently, this weed is spreading into adjacent areas in at least 2 locations. The invaded wetland areas in Florida have been estimated at 200-300 ha and along at least 100 km of river (Fox & Bryson 1998; Coile 1993). This exotic weed was placed on the Florida Noxious Weed List, and on the Federal Noxious Weed List in 1998/99. Wetland-nightshade is native to southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize (Gentry & Standley 1974), the Caribbean region (Sauget & Liogier 1957), Nicaragua, Costa Rica (Medal personal observation), and probably has also spread into other regions including the northern part of South America. This plant has enormous reproductive potential through vegetative parts (sections of stems) as well as seed production. A single plant growing in an open sunny area can produce up to 8,620 seeds during an annual growing season that occurs from early spring to fall in southern Florida (Fox & Wigginton 1996b; Langeland & Burks 1998). Dispersion of the seeds may occur through wildlife feeding on the fruits as is common with other Solanum species (Medal et al. 2002; Medal & Cuda 2000). Since the mid 1990s, some initial research efforts involving state agencies have focused mainly on chemical weed control along with a few studies on the biology and ecology of the weed (Fox & Wigginton 1996a, b).