@article {23026, title = {Arthropods associated with above-ground portions of the invasive tree, Melaleuca quinquenervia, in south Florida, USA}, journal = {Florida Entomologist}, volume = {86}, year = {2003}, pages = {300-322}, abstract = {

Melaleuca quinquenervia (Cav.) S. T. Blake, the broad-leaved paperbark tree, has invaded ca.
202,000 ha in Florida, including portions of the Everglades National Park. We performed
prerelease surveys in south Florida to determine if native or accidentally introduced arthropods
exploit this invasive plant species and assess the potential for higher trophic levels to
interfere with the establishment and success of future biological control agents. Herein we
quantify the abundance of arthropods present on the above-ground portions of saplings and
small M. quinquenervia trees at four sites. Only eight of the 328 arthropods collected were
observed feeding on M. quinquenervia . Among the arthropods collected in the plants adventive
range, 19 species are agricultural or horticultural pests. The high percentage of rare
species (72.0\%), presumed to be transient or merely resting on the foliage, and the paucity
of species observed feeding on the weed, suggests that future biological control agents will
face little if any competition from pre-existing plant-feeding arthropods.

}, keywords = {Milichiidae, United States}, author = {Costello, S.L. and Pratt, P.D. and Rayamajhi, M.B. and Center, T.D.} }