Spotted Knapweed Centaurea maculosa Lam

Agapeta zoegana
L.

DESCRIPTION: Moth - 1 to 2 cm yellow body with black stries
BACKGROUND		LIFE CYCLE
Availability	Habitat	Adult Emergence	Egg Laying	Larva Development	F1	Adult Life Span	Over Winters
G	Cooler areas of Knapweed range	Mid June to mid August	Mid June to mid August	In root		10 to 14 days	Larvae in root crown
ATTACK		COLLECTION		NOTES
Stage	Damage	Life Stage	Method	Rapid collection and redistribution due to short adult lifespan.
Larvae -	Root miner	Adults July to August	Aspirator

Chaetorellia acrolophi
White & Marq.

DESCRIPTION: Fly - dark body with yellow bands on body and wings
BACKGROUND		LIFE CYCLE
Availability	Habitat	Adult Emergence	Egg Laying	Larva Development	F1	Adult Life Span	Over Winters
N	Dry south facing slopes	Early June coinciding with spotted knapweed budding	Early June in flower buds	Center of flower bud	Two generations per year; generations overlap in July	17 days	Larvae in seed head
ATTACK		COLLECTION		NOTES
Stage	Damage	Life Stage	Method	F2 generation is possible, but rare. 1^st generation larvae are white; 2^nd generation larvae are yellow.
Larvae -	Seed head feeder	Larvae fall or early spring	Clip seed head

Cyphocleonus achates
(Fahr.)

DESCRIPTION: Weevil - 0.5 to 1.75 cm mottled grey-brown
BACKGROUND		LIFE CYCLE
Availability	Habitat	Adult Emergence	Egg Laying	Larva Development	F1	Adult Life Span	Over Winters
G	Hot dry coarse textured sandy soils; large roots	Mid July to early September	Late July to mid September in root crown	Root crown		10 weeks	Larvae in root crown
ATTACK		COLLECTION		NOTES
Stage	Damage	Life Stage	Method	During hot weather adults position themselves on top of plants.
Larvae -	Root miner	Adult July to early September	Hand pick
Adult -	Foliage	Adult July to early September	Hand pick

Larinus minutus
Gyll.

DESCRIPTION: Weevil - 5 to 10 mm mottled brown
BACKGROUND		LIFE CYCLE
Availability	Habitat	Adult Emergence	Egg Laying	Larva Development	F1	Adult Life Span	Over Winters
N	Hot dry areas	Early May to June	June to July in flower buds	In flower head	Late September to October	5 to 14 weeks	Adult in soil and litter near root
ATTACK		COLLECTION		NOTES
Stage	Damage	Life Stage	Method	Larvae consume the entire flower head contents.
Larvae -	Flower head feeder	Adults early summer	Sweep net, aspirate, hand pick	Larvae consume the entire flower head contents.

Larinus obtusus
Gyll.

DESCRIPTION: Weevil - 8 mm dark brown
BACKGROUND		LIFE CYCLE
Availability	Habitat	Adult Emergence	Egg Laying	Larva Development	F1	Adult Life Span	Over Winters
N	Warm dry conditions	Mid May	End of May	In flower head	Mid July	5 to 6 months	Adult in litter
ATTACK		COLLECTION		NOTES
Stage	Damage	Life Stage	Method	Occasionally adults hibernate a second time and live a second season.
Larvae -	Seed head feeder	Adults early summer	Sweep net

Metzneria paucipunctella
Zellar

DESCRIPTION: Moth - 1 cm pale brown
BACKGROUND		LIFE CYCLE
Availability	Habitat	Adult Emergence	Egg Laying	Larva Development	F1	Adult Life Span	Over Winters
G	Does not tolerate severe winter conditions	Late May to mid August	Flower base late May to mid August	Immature and mature seeds		3 weeks	Larvae in seed head
ATTACK		COLLECTION		NOTES
Stage	Damage	Life Stage	Method	Bulk storage attracts predatory mite Pynotes sp.
Larvae -	Seed head	Larvae late summer, early fall, early spring	Clip seed heads	Bulk storage attracts predatory mite Pynotes sp.

Pelochrista medullana
(Strig.)

DESCRIPTION: Moth - 14 to 21 mm grey and mottled brown
BACKGROUND		LIFE CYCLE
Availability	Habitat	Adult Emergence	Egg Laying	Larva Development	F1	Adult Life Span	Over Winters
N	Moderately moist dense stands	Mid June to end of July	Mid June to mid August	In root		12 to 13 days	Larvae in root collar
ATTACK		COLLECTION		NOTES
Stage	Damage	Life Stage	Method	Larvae will only develop on rosettes.
Larvae -	Root miner	Adults mid June to end of July	Aspirator	Larvae will only develop on rosettes.

Puccinia jaceae
Otth.

DESCRIPTION: Rust colored pustules 0.4 to 1.3 mm diameter
BACKGROUND		LIFE CYCLE
Availability	Habitat	Adult Emergence	Egg Laying	Larva Development	F1	Adult Life Span	Over Winters
G	Wherever Spotted knapweed occurs	12 to 16 days after innoculation	N/A	N/A		N/A	Pustules on stem and leaves
ATTACK		COLLECTION		NOTES
Stage	Damage	Life Stage	Method	Rust spreads by wind-spread spores. Check for presence before redistributing.
Pustules -	Leaves/reduce plant growth and vigor	Infected plant material August to September	Clip infected stems and leaves

Sphenoptera jugoslavica
Obenb.

DESCRIPTION: Beetle - 7 to 10 mm elongated-oval; dark copper to black
BACKGROUND		LIFE CYCLE
Availability	Habitat	Adult Emergence	Egg Laying	Larva Development	F1	Adult Life Span	Over Winters
G	Arid environment with summer drought period	July	Mid July to mid August	Root core		4 weeks	Larvae in root
ATTACK		COLLECTION		NOTES
Stage	Damage	Life Stage	Method	Males emerge 1 week before females
Larvae -	Root miner	Adults mid July to mid August	Sweep net	Males emerge 1 week before females

Terellia virens
(Loew.)

DESCRIPTION: Fly - 5 mm clear wings yellow to greenish-yellow body
BACKGROUND		LIFE CYCLE
Availability	Habitat	Adult Emergence	Egg Laying	Larva Development	F1	Adult Life Span	Over Winters
N	South-facing slopes and dry locations	Early summer 4 weeks before flowering	Early summer in seed head	Seed head	Occasionally in late summer	48 days	Larvae in seed head
ATTACK		COLLECTION		NOTES
Stage	Damage	Life Stage	Method	Bulk storage attracts predatory mite Pynotes sp.
Larvae -	Seed head	Larvae-early spring and fall	Clip seed head with stems intact
Larvae -	Seed head	Adults -	Sweep net aspirate

Urophora affinis
Frauenfeld

DESCRIPTION: Fly - 1 to 3 mm dark body with clear wings with faint bar markings
BACKGROUND		LIFE CYCLE
Availability	Habitat	Adult Emergence	Egg Laying	Larva Development	F1	Adult Life Span	Over Winters
G	Where Spotted knapweed is found	Early to mid June	Early to mid June	Flower head	Late August	3 weeks	Larvae in seed head
ATTACK		COLLECTION		NOTES
Stage	Damage	Life Stage	Method	Bulk storage of stems attracts predatory mite. Does best in mesic and wetter years.
Larvae -	Seed head gall	Larvae early spring and fall	Clip seed heads
Larvae -	Seed head gall	Adults June to July	Sweep net

Urophora quadrifasciata
(Meigan)

DESCRIPTION: Fly - 1 to 3 mm black body distinctive "UV" pattern on wings
BACKGROUND		LIFE CYCLE
Availability	Habitat	Adult Emergence	Egg Laying	Larva Development	F1	Adult Life Span	Over Winters
G	Where Spotted knapweed is found	Late June to early July	Late June to early July	Flower head	Early to mid August	3 weeks	Larvae in seed head
ATTACK		COLLECTION		NOTES
Stage	Damage	Life Stage	Method	Adults usually hold wings in a "V" shape while at rest. Larvae does not tolerate severe winter conditions
Larvae -	Seed head gall	Larvae early spring and fall	Clip seed heads
Larvae -	Seed head gall	Adults June to July	Sweep net