Diorhabda meridionalis
species of beetle
Diorhabda meridionalis is a species of leaf beetle known as the southern tamarisk beetle (SoTB) which feeds on tamarisk trees from Syria to western and southern Iran and southern Pakistan. The SoTB may have potential for use in North America as a biological pest control agent against saltcedar or tamarisk (Tamarix spp.), an invasive species in arid and semi-arid ecosystems (where it might be less accurately referred to along with its closely related sibling species as the 'saltcedar beetle', 'saltcedar leaf beetle', 'salt cedar leaf beetle', or 'tamarisk leaf beetle') (Tracy and Robbins 2009).
Taxonomy
The SoTB was first described from Minab, Iran as the subspecies Diorhabda carinulata meridionalis Berti and Rapilly (1973). Tracy and Robbins (2009) recognized Diorhabda meridionalis Berti and Rapilly as a separate species from Diorhabda carinulata (Desbrochers) based on comparisons of the male and female genitalia, and provided illustrated taxonomic keys separating the SoTB from the four other sibling species of the D. elongata (Brullé) species group: Diorhabda elongata (Brullé), Diorhabda carinata (Faldermann), Diorhabda sublineata (Lucas), and Diorhabda carinulata. (For additional information, see Wikispecies: Diorhabda meridionalis.)
Host plants
Field collections in Iran reveal that the SoTB feeds on an unidentified species of tamarisk. Further field collections are needed to identify which tamarisk species serve as hosts.
Life cycle
The life cycle of the SoTB has not been studied, but it is probably similar to that of the closely related northern tamarisk beetle, Diorhabda carinulata.
Biological control agent
The SoTB might be able to serve as an effective biological control agent for tamarisk in North America. Laboratory host range studies are needed to verify that SoTB is a specialist feeder on tamarisks. The SoTB may be better adapted to subtropical desert habitats of south and west Texas than other Old World tamarisk beetles that are being introduced, such as the Mediterranean tamarisk beetle, Diorhabda elongata.
The public source identifies “Diorhabda meridionalis” as species of beetle. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Diorhabda, meridionalis and species.
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This entry incorporates text from “Diorhabda meridionalis” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.