DPI's Bureau of Entomology, Nematology and Plant Pathology (the botany section is included in this bureau) produces TRI-OLOGY six times a year, covering two months of activity in each issue. The report includes detection activities from nursery plant inspections, routine and emergency program surveys, and requests for identification of plants and pests from the public. Samples are also occasionally sent from other states or countries for identification or diagnosis.

Section Reports

Our Mission…getting it done

The mission of the Division of Plant Industry is to protect Florida’s native and commercially grown plants and the State’s apiary industry from harmful pests and diseases. Perhaps you’d be interested in some of the things we do to protect our state’s native plant species.

DPI is responsible for providing protection to the native plant species that are classified as endangered, threatened or commercially exploited. These plants are listed in the Regulated Plant Index (Florida Administrative Code Chapter 5B-40). Permits are most often approved for projects to rescue endangered plants from destruction during development projects or to conduct conservation and restoration research.

An essential part of the procedure for obtaining permission to harvest listed plants from the wild is submitting the form, DACS 08051 – “Request for Permit to Harvest Endangered or Commercially Exploited Plant(s) or Plant Part(s).” After this form is received, a permit is either approved or disapproved based on our assessment of the project. The following steps are required:

  • To collect even one individual (or any plant parts) of a species listed as endangered in Florida from private land that you do not own, you must have written permission of the landowner and submit DACS 08051. To collect on public land, you must have written permission of the local administrator controlling the public land and submit DACS 08051.
  • To collect three or more plants or plant parts of commercially exploited plants from public or private land you do not own, you must have written permission of the private landowner or administrative authority and submit DACS 08051.
  • To collect plants listed as threatened from public or private land you do not own, only written permission from the private landowner or administrative authority for public land is required.
In addition to regulating the harvest of wild plants, DPI continues to assist the Endangered Plant Advisory Council (EPAC), which recommends additions to and deletions from Florida's lists of endangered, threatened and commercially exploited plants. Further information on this subject can be found on the DPI Web site.

We welcome your suggestions for improvement of TRI-OLOGY. Please feel free to contact me or Dr. Patti Anderson with your comments.

Dr. Wayne N. Dixon, editor
Director, DPI

Highlights

Following are a few of the notable entries from this volume of TRI-OLOGY. These entries are reports of interesting plants or unusual pests, some of which may be problematic. See Section Reports for complete information.

Medfly impact area
Medfly impact area
Photograph courtesy of Jeffrey W. Lotz, DPI

Ceratitis capitata (Mediterranean fruit fly). On 3 July 2010, the last wild fly (a male in a pheromone-baited trap) was detected in the eradication program that began with the discovery of 10 wild flies in Boca Raton on 2 June 2010. A total of 49 males, 8 females and 11 larvae were detected at 12 different sites during the course of the survey program. The presumption is that a population is no longer present when a time equal to an estimated three life cycles passes without a further detection. That was achieved on 29 August 2010.

spraying for medfly
Spraying for medfly
Photograph courtesy of Darci G. Hames, DPI

Therefore, an official declaration of eradication was made on 1 September 2010. The total program cost was an estimated $4.5 million.

Achimenes patens (magic flower)
Achimenes patens (magic flower)
Photograph courtesy of Christian Feuillet, The Gesneriad Reference Web

Achimenes patens Bentham (magic flower) belongs to a group of exceptionally ornamental plants, with bright, showy flowers and attractive foliage. These plants are generally grown in containers, particularly in cool climates, but they make excellent ground covers for the shady garden as well. This species is native to western Mexico and has been in cultivation for more than 150 years.

Agrilus difficilis (a metallic woodboring beetle)
Agrilus difficilis (a metallic woodboring beetle)
Photograph courtesy of Michael C. Thomas, DPI

Agrilus difficilis Gory (a metallic woodboring beetle), a new State record, was collected in a purple prism trap baited with manuka and phoebe oils in Tampa, Hillsborough County. This species is widespread in the central United States.

Sagittaria subulata (awl-leaf arrowhead)
Sagittaria subulata (awl-leaf arrowhead)
Photograph courtesy of Jason D. Stanley, DPI

Hirschmaniella species nematodes share the common name “rice root nematodes” because they parasitize rice. They also parasitize many aquatic plants including some used as aquarium plants, such as Hydrophyllum spp. and Sagittaria subulata (L.) Buch. In Florida, these aquatic plants are infected by H. caudacrena and H. oryzae.

 

Acknowledgements:
The editors would like to acknowledge the work of all those who contributed information and explanations by providing data, photographs or text and by carefully reading early drafts. We also thank Scott Weinberg for his skillful use of web authoring tools to produce this report.