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Skunk vine, Paederia foetida (Rubiaceae), is native to Asia and has been recognized as an invasive weedy vine of natural areas in Florida and Hawaii. Two insects, Trachyaphthona sordida and Trachyaphthona nigrita (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) from Japan are being considered as potential biological control agents against skunk vine. To gather fundamental information on their biology, we carried out field surveys and laboratory experiments in Kyushu, southern Japan, between 2003 and 2006. We found that T. sordida is commonly distributed in Kyushu and T. nigrita is restricted to the southern parts of Kagoshima Prefecture on the southern part of Kyushu. These species are fundamentally univoltine and adults appear in late April to early July. Trachyaphthona sordida overwinters as mature larvae and T. nigrita as mature larvae or rarely as adults. Larvae of both species feed on fine roots of P. foetida in the field and Serissa foetida (Rubiaceae) under rearing conditions, and they appear to have tribe-level host specificity in their host range. On the basis of these results, we suggest that both species are suitable as biological control agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica Newman) was introduced to a New Jersey nursery in 1916 and continues to spread across the United States and Canada. Adults attack foliage, flowers, and fruit of more than 300 species of plants; however, some plants are notably resistant. This paper summarizes data on plant susceptibility of woody plants to Japanese beetles collected from observations and controlled experiments. Resistance to Japanese beetle has been documented among species of maples (Acer) and birch (Betula) and among cultivars of crabapple (Malus), crapemyrtle (Lagerstroemia), and linden (Tilia). Production of certain plant odors, presence of secondary compounds in leaves, and leaf pubescence are factors affecting resistance to this insect. Host plant resistance is the most sustainable means of managing feeding damage or plant losses resulting from Japanese beetle adults. When suitable, incorporating Japanese beetle-resistant plants into new landscapes can reduce or eliminate the expense of replacing damaged plants or frequent insecticide applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]