After years of testing, the U. S. Department of Agriculture has approved release in the United States of Galerucella beetles that exclusively feed on Purple Loosestrife, that attractive but invasive alien plant that is taking over our wetlands because it has no natural enemies. Donna Ellis, of the Plant Sciences Department at UConn, is an expert and sole source of these beetles in Connecticut. She is looking for volunteers to help halt this invasion.

Donna has developed a simple approach to enable wetland owners to rear a crop of these beetles to release among their own stands of loosestrife, plus instructions on monitoring the progress of the beetles at controlling the invasion.

She has prepared two packets of materials for volunteers of the Connecticut Purple Loosestrife Biological Control Program that will be ready to be distributed in January. Packet "A" will contain information on site monitoring in wetlands where biological control agents have been (or will be) released, and Packet "B" will have information on rearing Galerucella leaf-feeding beetles for distribution in your local wetland. At the appropriate time next summer, she will provide the starter kit supply of beetles, free.

If you would like to receive one or both packets send your mailing address to:

Donna Ellis

Dept. of Plant Science, U-67

The University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT 06269-4067

phone: (860) 486-6448

fax: (860) 486-0682

e-mail: dellis@canr.cag.uconn.edu

There is no charge for the packets.

For more information you can also visit the Purple Loosestrife web site at www.lib.uconn.edu/canr/ces/ipm/general/forms/lstrifrm.htm.

Thanks to

Frank Haviland

Hartford Audubon Society

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Last updated 18 September, 2004 .