ABSTRACT
Insects have been used successfully as a form of biological control to suppress alligator weed in Florida and other states of the Southeast under the US Army Corps of Engineers aquatic control program in cooperation with the Division of Entomology Research of the United States Department of Agriculture. A research agreement was initiated by the corps of engineers in 1959 with the United States Department of Agriculture, Division of Entomology Research, to conduct explorations in South America for natural enemies of alligator weed. The principal and immediate objective of the research program was to determine whether or not the alligator weed flea beetle could complete its life cycle on any plant except its normal host. During May 1965, two trips were made into the southeastern United States to distribute the alligator weed flea beetle and to initiate evaluation studies. The first trip was made by Dr. W. H. Anderson of the US Department of Agriculture on May 7 to 12.
