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In this paper, the mature larva and pupa of Bagous claudicans are described and illustrated for the first time. Measurements of younger larval instars are also given. The biology of the species is discussed in association with larval morphology and feeding habits. Overall larval and pupal morphological characters of the genus Bagous are presented. Confirmation of the larva identification as Bagous claudicans species was conducted by cytochrome oxidase I (COI) sequencing. DNA barcoding was useful for specimen identification of larval stages. The systematic position of the species within the Bagous collignensis-group, based on morphological and molecular results, is also discussed.

Last-instar larvae of Bagous elegans (F.), Bagous aliciae Cmoluch, and Bagous lutulosus (Gyllenhal), and the pupa of B. elegans, are described and illustrated for the first time. Biology of these species is analyzed in association with larval morphology and feeding habits. Overall larval and pupal morphological diagnoses of the genus Bagous are updated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cabomba caroliniana, otherwise known as cabomba, is a submerged, rooted macrophyte with heavily dissected leaves that produces flowers that extend above the water surface. It has been disseminated around the world by aquarium traders and enthusiasts, and has become a noxious weed in numerous countries, including Australia, where it often produces dense monospecific stands. It is considered native to southern parts of North and South America, and is a common plant in floodplain streams and lakes in north-east Argentina. Because of the lack of alternative control methods, a search for biological control agents was initiated in 2003. The most promising natural enemy found during surveys of C. caroliniana in Argentina was the aquatic weevil Hydrotimetes natans. The entire life cycle is completed on the plant, primarily underwater, except when the adults climb onto emergent flowers to mate. Larvae mine the stems, pupal cases are constructed in the leaf axils where the petiole joins the stem, and adults feed on the leaves and the stems, primarily at the growing tips. Field surveys of C. caroliniana and other submerged plant species, as well as results from preliminary laboratory host range trials suggest that the weevil is specific to cabomba. Adults were found only on other plant species when intertwined with C. caroliniana in the field and did not move onto other plant species in aquaria trials. The distribution of the larvae in the field was studied in relation to depth and plant size. No preferences for stem width or plant length were found, although a significant portion of the larval mines were located near the root crown of the plant. This information on the host specificity and biology of H. natans in its native range may guide researchers studying the laboratory fundamental host range and determining the potential effectiveness of the weevil for biological control of cabomba in its introduced range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the mature larva and pupa of Bagous claudicans are described and illustrated for the first time. Measurements of younger larval instars are also given. The biology of the species is discussed in association with larval morphology and feeding habits. Overall larval and pupal morphological characters of the genus Bagous are presented. Confirmation of the larva identification as Bagous claudicans species was conducted by cytochrome oxidase I (COI) sequencing. DNA barcoding was useful for specimen identification of larval stages. The systematic position of the species within the Bagous collignensis-group, based on morphological and molecular results, is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]