Insect Ecology of Silverleaf Nightshade

Abstract

The phytophagous insects associated with silverleaf nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifoliumCav.) were surveyed in southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, and southwestern Texas. In California, this introduced weed was largely free of deleterious insect injury. Its insect associates mostly were sap or foliage-feeding species that attack a wide range of plants, a few were species restricted to Solanaceae, and several were species economically important as crop pests. The insect fauna became increasingly complex in species diversity and plant parts attacked as the survey progressed eastward from California towards southwestern Texas and the presumed native habitats of this weed in adjacent Mexico. The feasibility of biological control of silverleaf nightshade and the value of faunistic surveys in ascertaining the indigenous or alien status of plants are good.