Watermilfoil Weevil
Euhrychiopsis lecontei: Together with our partner company, EnviroScience of Stow, Ohio we provide the milfoil weevil for biocontrol of the aquatic invasive plant, Eurasian watermilfoil. Unlike all of the other insects we work with, the milfoil weevil is a native species to the United States and Canada. Its natural host is the native, Northern watermilfoil, however it readily feeds and actually prefers the exotic Eurasian milfoil. The larval stage of the milfoil weevil mines out the vascular tissue of the plant damaging its ability to transfer nutrients. This mining also causes the floating stems to lose buoyancy and fall out of the water column. Rather than 
release a small number of insects and allow the population to grow and control the weed as is the case with other biocontrol species, biocontrol of Eurasian watermilfoil with this insect requires that a large number of insects be released in one location to augment the small natural population that is already present. Introducing this large number of insects causes the milfoil weevil population to go epidemic and increase exponentially. Since this insect can produce up to four generations per summer, impacts to milfoil can be apparent the first year. This is also in contrast to the other insects we handle which take several years to noticably impact the weed population. For more detailed information on this insect as a biocontrol agent, please visit our partner company's website: www.enviroscienceinc.com, or give us a call. Insects are available June through early August.
Costs for this biocontrol are unique for each project and involve more than just the cost of the insects.