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Tag: biocontrol

prairie dogs

How Flea-Killing Fungus Could Keep Prairie Dogs From Spreading Plague

Prairie dogs in the western U.S. can carry the bacterium that causes bubonic plague, and their fleas play a primary role in spreading it among prairie dogs and to other animals. A group of scientists say insect-pathogenic fungi that target those fleas could be a useful tool in interrupting that transmission route.

eupatorium gall fly (Procecidochares utilis)

Study Shows Elevation Affects Fly’s Use as Natural Enemy of Invasive Weed

In Nepal, the gall-inducing eupatorium gall fly (Procecidochares utilis) is deployed as a biological control agent against the invasive weed Ageratina adenophora. A new study by researchers at Tribhuvan University and the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Integrated Pest Management shows size and abundance of galls induced by the fly are influenced by elevation, knowledge that can help in fine-tuning P. utilis-based biocontrol efforts.