Volatile chemistry, not phylogeny, predicts host range of a biological control agent of Old-World climbing fern

The safety of weed biological control depends upon the selection and utilization target by agent while causing minimal harm to non-target species. Selection species agents is determined presence behavioral cues, namely host secondary plant compounds that elicit oviposition feeding responses. Non-target same cues as found in may be at risk damage classical agents. Here we volatile constituents invasive Old World climbing fern, Lygodium microphyllum five Nonmetric multidimensional scaling permutational analysis variance indicated profiles for each were significantly distinct from one another. Qualitative quantitative comparisons 32 several, including 1-octen-3-ol, 3-octanone, sativene, ?-cadinene, ethyl hexanoate, distinguish L. microphyllum. We retrospectively compared ovipositional responses established biocontrol Neomusotima conspurcatalis, previously tested released these similarity profile was a strong predictor (R2 = 0.86), phylogenetic distance predicted neither nor tested. These results suggest among facilitated congener japonicum avoiding other, native introduced range oviposition. could serve used this N. conspurcatalis select narrow range.