A review of the agents and factors that have contributed to the successfulbiological control of Sesbania punicea (Cav.) Benth. (Papilionaceae) in South Africa

An invasive, South American, perennial, leguminous tree, Sesbania punicea ( Cav.) Benth., has been brought under biological control in South Africa as a result of the actions of three species of herbivorous insects, a bud-dest roying apionid, Trichapion lativentre (Beguin-Billecocq), a seed-feeding we evil, Rhyssomatus marginatus Fahraeus, and a stem-boring weevil, Neodiplogr ammus quadrivittatus (Olivier). Each of the three species has become abunda nt and damaging on the weed and together they cause sufficient damage to ma intain their host plant at population levels that are no longer problematic . In this review, the results of several studies that have quantified the i mpact of the agents on the growth, reproduction and survival of S. punicea and on the population dynamics of the weed are summarized.