Blue heliotrope biocontrol

Brief description

Heliotropium amplexicaule blue heliotrope Blue heliotrope is an invasive pasture weed species in Australia that can cause poisoning when ingested by grazing livestock. One biocontrol agent has been released for blue heliotrope. 1. Blue heliotrope leaf beetle *Deuterocampta quadrijuga* This biocontrol agent is expected to reduce the seed production of blue heliotrope, resulting in a decline in local blue heliotrope infestation densities and reduced weed spread into new areas. The blue heliotrope leaf beetle is now established in Australia, with observations showing that the species has caused serious local damage to the target weed since its release. However, the full distribution of the leaf beetle has not yet been mapped. Look for updates on field days, workshops, and research results on the Blog.  Blue heliotrope leaf beetle larva (Image: David McClenaghan, CC BY https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)