Parthenium Biological Control Agents

Listronotus setosipennis (stem boring weevil)

Noctural adults feed on leaves and flowers			Lay eggs in flower heads or leaf bases
Adult emergence triggered by rainfall	from Argentina and Brazil larvae are shaped like a "c" larvae are white with a brown head survive dry weather in soil		hatch 3-5 days later
pupate in soild inside fibrous capsules (Actual Size 5mm)			Larvae bore into flower stalks and stems (Actual size 5mm)
	Mature larvae leave stem and move to root crown where they feed on crowns and tap roots