M
Melissa C. Smith
Researcher at Agricultural Research Service
Publications - 30
Citations - 232
Melissa C. Smith is an academic researcher from Agricultural Research Service. The author has contributed to research in topics: Dioscorea bulbifera & Lygodium microphyllum. The author has an hindex of 7, co-authored 29 publications receiving 173 citations. Previous affiliations of Melissa C. Smith include United States Department of Agriculture.
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Journal ArticleDOI
Invasive plants as catalysts for the spread of human parasites
Richard N. Mack,Melissa C. Smith +1 more
TL;DR: Proposed introductions of floating aquatic vascular species, species with masting reproduction and species that could occupy an unfilled niche in a new range deserve careful evaluation as catalysts of unintended species interactions, especially of human parasites.
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Host range validation, molecular identification and release and establishment of a Chinese biotype of the Asian leaf beetle Lilioceris cheni (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Criocerinae) for control of Dioscorea bulbifera L. in the southern United States
Min B. Rayamajhi,F. Allen Dray,Paul M. Madeira,Gloria L. Witkus,Eric Rohrig,Elizabeth D. Mattison,Ellen C. Lake,Melissa C. Smith,Jialing Zhang,Matthew F. Purcell,Alex Konstantinov,Don Schmitz +11 more
TL;DR: Preliminary observations indicate that L. cheni now contributes to the control of D. bulbifera and the bulbil-feeding L. egena should complement these effects if its host range proves appropriate.
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Dispersal and Establishment of New Populations of the Biological Control Agent Floracarus perrepae (Acariformes: Eriophyidae) on Old World Climbing Fern, Lygodium microphyllum (Polypodiales: Lygodiaceae)
TL;DR: The mite Floracarus perrepae Knihinicki & Boczek was released in south Florida from 2008 to 2010 but did not readily establish in the field, but has established within Jonathan Dickinson State Park and has dispersed to L. microphyllum patches outside the park at a rate of 3.5 ± 0.6 km/yr.
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Ecological host-range of Lilioceris cheni (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), a biological control agent of Dioscorea bulbifera
TL;DR: Open-field host-specificity testing assesses the host-range of a biological control agent in a setting that permits the agent to use its full complement of host-seeking behaviors and concludes that L. cheni is host- specific to D. bulbifera and does not pose a spillover risk to the native D. floridana.
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Current Status of the Biological Control Agent Neomusotima conspurcatalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), on Lygodium microphyllum (Polypodiales: Lygodiaceae) in Florida
TL;DR: The original releases of 4,000 or more individuals per site were entirely successful, pointing to a strategy that focuses on numbers at this target level or beyond for future releases in Florida.