Japanese knotweed is a problematic #invasive plant in the UK and North America

As part of her PhD @chanida_fung worked with @CABI_News to try to improve the biocontrol potential of a psyllid (insect) and evaluate its performance given climate change
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2020.104269

We hypothesized that increased genetic variability could help revive the available stock of laboratory reared insects.

We tested three strains (variants of the same species) including a newly created hybrid combining individuals collected in two areas of Japan

(photo by CABI)

@chanida_fung set up a laboratory experiment under quarantine (we do not want to release untested insects to the UK!) & she worked hard counting insects and weighting plants
We wanted to which insect strain did better and how they affected the invasive plant
(photo by Chanida)

Turns out the hybrids were not very good

They died more often than the other two strains and the adults emerge around the same time.

No gains there

(SDI is a measure of water stress, Saturation Deficiency Index, high values mean more stress)

But there may be some partial good new.

Under drier, more stressful conditions the psyllids (the biocontrol insects) appear to cause more damage to the #invasive Japanese knotweed, reducing growth.

You can read the whole paper here
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2020.104269