Decline of the invasive submersed macrophyte Myriophyllum spicatum (Haloragaceae) associated with herbivory by larvae of Acentria ephemerella (Lepidoptera)

Abstract

Myriophyllum spicatum, an exotic submersed macrophyte causing serious lake management problems throughout much of North America, decreased markedly in biomass in Cayuga Lake, NY, USA, since the beginning of the 1990s. Over the same period, however, the total biomass of all species of submersed macrophytes did not decline, and native macrophytes gained in abundance. The aquatic moth larva, Acentria ephemerella, was first observed on milfoil plants in Cayuga Lake in 1991. However, due to its cryptic habit the larva may have been present prior to that year. When the density of these grazers is high, herbivory by Acentria causes severe damage to the apical meristem of M. spicatum. This moth larva and another milfoil herbivore, Euhrychiopsis lecontei are widespread in 26 lakes surveyed in New York State; they are present in 25 and 24 lakes, respectively. Estimates of Acentria larval densities in summer in Cayuga Lake are 27 to 100 m², and a quantitative survey of larvae hibernating in milfoil stems revealed mean densities of 500 m² in late fall in Seneca Lake. In laboratory experiments, Acentria larvae feed on a wide variety of macrophytes commonly found in New York State. Although Acentria is not a specialist feeder, its life cycle is closely tied to M. spicatum through the moth s use of apical tips and stems for summer and winter refuges; thus deleterious damage to other macrophytes is low.