Past and present initiatives on the biological control of Lantana camara (Verbenaceae) in South Africa

Lantana camara, a highly invasive weed in many countries, has been targeted for biological control in South Africa since the early 1960s. An earlier r eview in 1991 indicated that, despite the establishment of several natural enemy species, the programme has largely been unsuccessful. In this paper w e review initiatives undertaken during the 1990s and discuss (i) the status of the natural enemies established on the weed, (ii) factors that have lim ited the impact of these agents, (iii) the potential of eleven new biocontr ol candidates currently under evaluation for release and (iv) the problem o f expanded host ranges of imported natural enemies under laboratory conditi ons. Ultimately, the success of the programme will depend on the establishm ent of a suite of natural enemies, attacking several parts of the weed, whi ch are able to cope with the extreme variability and wide distribution of L . camara in South Africa. Despite the problems associated with the programm e, L. camara remains a candidate for biological control in South Africa.