MSc, co-supervised with Zvi Mendel

I study the acclimatization of the seed feeding weevil Melanterius castaneus in Israel as a biological control agent against the invasive weed Acacia salinga. A. saligna is an aggressive transformer, displacing local plants and animals in Israel, especially along the unique coastal plain habitats. Manual and chemical control methods against the plant are expensive and unsustainable, mainly due to the sheer number of seeds produced each year, which accumulate in the soil as a viable seed bank. Larvae of the weevil feed on seeds inside the pods and therefore can curb further spread of the plant. Quarantine experiments we conducted proved that the beetle does not attack the local Acacia species in Israel and would be safe for release in the country. The objective of my study is to monitor the acclimatization and establishment of the beetles in Israel following their release, and their impact on A. saligna populations in selected natural sites.