D. Gandolfo

TL;DR: Based on the insects’ occurrence, abundance and damage to their target weeds, and their absence on other non-target Solanum species, several natural enemies that warrant further investigation were identified.

TL;DR: A leaf-feeding notodontid moth, a new species of gracillariid leaf blotch miner, and a stem-boring weevil have been selected for further studies to determine their potential as biological control agents of Brazilian peppertree in the USA.

TL;DR: The unsprayed eggplant fieldsthat were surveyed in its natural range in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay from June 1997 to March 2000 indicated that G. boliviana is not a pest of eggplants in SouthAmerica, therefore, a petition for fieldrelease of G.boliviana for classicalbiological control of S. viarum in the USA was submitted in April 2000.

TL;DR: The leaf beetle Metriona elatior from Brazil-Argentina was screened in the Florida (USA) state quarantine facility as a potential biological control agent of tropical soda apple, Solanum viarum, a recently arrived weed species and tests indicate it causes significant feeding damage to S. melongena crops in the USA.

TL;DR: Host specificity tests conducted under laboratory and field conditions demonstrated that the leaf feeding beetle Gratiana boliviana Dunal was a specialist herbivore that completes development only on the target weed.