
YAMPA RIVER LEAFY SPURGE PROJECT
Biological Control
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Our leafy spurge biological control data are now displayed in our new Interactive Map application, or can be downloaded HERE.
Highly Recommended!
An important new research paper has recently been published on leafy spurge biological control. The Biological Control of Leafy Spurge is a well written, comprehensive overview of leafy spurge biological control—and a confirmation that the YRLSP is on the right track with its biocontrol release project. Click on the title in the previous sentence, or visit our Resources page, where you will find links to this paper as well as other valuable sources of information on leafy spurge and its management.
Introduction
Although conventional herbicide treatment of upland leafy spurge infestations has been the norm in the Yampa River Basin, the use of biological control agents also dates back to at least 1989. Unfortunately, in the early years recordkeeping was sometimes incomplete, and (with the exception of Tepee Draw) virtually no follow-up monitoring was ever conducted. In the absence of such data, the relative success or failure of these “legacy” biological control releases was never substantiated.
Leafy spurge biological control involves the introduction of one or more different insect species that have co-evolved with leafy spurge in its original old-world habitats. Unlike most herbicides, biological control is safe to use in riparian habitats, does not negatively impact desirable species, and has the potential to be self-sustaining. The most commonly released leafy spurge biological control agents in the Yampa River Basin have been multiple species of flea beetles in the genus Aphthona, as well as a stem-boring beetle (Oberea erythrocephala). Recent investigations have also revealed the presence of another introduced species for which no record of local release has been found, the leafy spurge hawk moth (Hyles euphorbiae).
The goal of biological control is control of the target species, rather than eradication, and the impact of biological control insects on leafy spurge can be quite different from conventional herbicide use. While herbicide applications may provide obvious plant mortality in a short time, biological control acts more subtly to reduce the leafy spurge's viability. Tall, dense, vigorously flowering stands will typically be reduced to patchier, sparsely flowering stands after the introduction of biological control. The result is reduced seed production—an important step towards reducing the waterborne seed load in the Yampa River and its associated irrigation delivery systems.

Leafy spurge biocontrol agents photographed locally.
Left top and bottom: Leafy Spurge Flea Beetles (black and brown species)
Right top: Leafy Spurge Hawk Moth Caterpillar
Right bottom: Leafy Spurge Stem-Boring Beetle
Biological Control Monitoring
The effectiveness of leafy spurge biological control in the Yampa River Basin cannot be quantified without a long-term monitoring program. The YRLSP’s efforts towards establishing a biological control monitoring program began in 2018, with the research and compilation of all available records for legacy leafy spurge biological control releases in Moffat and Routt counties. The location and year of release for over 40 legacy sites have been identified. For most of these release sites we also have additional information regarding the type and quantity of insects that were released.
Legacy leafy spurge biological control releases date back three decades.
Beginning in the summer of 2019, volunteer Tamara Naumann, with help from individuals associated with the local Colorado Master Gardner program, and local, county, state and federal land agencies, began revisiting these legacy biocontrol release sites. Using a sweep-net protocol, the current presence or absence of biocontrol insects at each legacy site was established, and the current condition of the leafy spurge infestation was assessed. Other habitat variables (e.g., geomorphic location, aspect, soil type and dominant vegetation) were also inventoried. Each site was then evaluated for its appropriateness for continued biological control monitoring in the future.
The results from Tamara's monitoring suggest that past releases of biological control species in the Yampa Basin have been far more persistent than was conventionally thought. At least one biocontrol species has been found at virtually every visited legacy release site where leafy spurge is still present. Aphthona, Oberea and Hyles have also been recently observed in many additional locations, often many miles from any documented release site. For example, leafy spurge biological control species have been found in the Axial Basin, the Little Yampa Canyon, remote patches of leafy spurge in upland habitats northeast of Maybell, and along the Yampa River in Dinosaur National Monument.
The widespread presence of leafy spurge biological control insects throughout the Yampa River Basin, even in relatively low numbers, confirms their viability in these habitats, and suggests the possibility that over the last three decades biological control insects have already been at work slowing the growth of leafy spurge infestations.

Sweeping for leafy spurge biocontrol insects along the Yampa River.
YRLSP Biological Control Releases
YRLSP's monitoring data is already contributing to a better understanding of the resiliency of the various biological control species in association with differing environmental conditions. This information is invaluable for establishing enhanced biocontrol populations through additional releases in the future.
To this end, in cooperation with our agency partners and multiple private- landowning stakeholders, in 2019 the YRLSP began an accelerated leafy spurge biological control release program. The goal is to distribute Aphthona (flea beetles) and Oberea (stem-boring beetles) in appropriate locations throughout the full extent of the riparian habitats of the Yampa Basin, from Hayden to Dinosaur National Monument. Each new YRLSP release site will be subject to continued biological control monitoring in the future.
Currently leafy spurge biological control insects are available to us (in seasonally variable quantities) from collections made by the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) at various Colorado Front Range locations, or from a vendor collecting in Montana. However, ultimately the YRLSP hopes to establish a number of viable local nursery sites for its own Yampa-Basin-sourced beetle collection and redistribution.
2019
In the first year of the YRLSP biological control release program, approximately 7,300 flea beetles collected by the CDA on the Front Range (and donated to the YRLSP) were released on or in the vicinity of the Yampa River State Wildlife Area (YRSWA).
2020
In June 2020, four YRLSP volunteers upped the ante by traveling to the Front Range to aid the CDA in their annual collection of leafy spurge biological control beetles. Under the tutelage of the CDA's John Kaltenbach, on the first day approximately 27,000 flea beetles were collected from the former Lowry Bombing and Gunnery Range east of Denver. Day two was then spent at the CDA facility in Broomfield, sorting the flea beetles from stray plant parts and the rest of the insect "bi-catch," before packaging them into 1000-insect lots for distribution by the CDA across Colorado. In return for our contributions, the YRLSP's share of the take was thirteen 1000-insect lots of Aphthona, and one lot of Oberea (Oberea is typically released in lots of only 100 insects).
Upon our return to the Yampa Yalley, two additional days were spent releasing the biological control insects at thirteen separate locations in Routt and Moffat counties. In June, Routt County Weed Program released 500 Aphthona northwest of Hayden. Then, in July 2020, YRLSP volunteers also helped release an additional 10,000 flea beetles on the Yampa River State Wildlife Area, purchased by the YRSWA from a vendor in Montana.
This brought the total for just the 2020 biological control releases alone in the Yampa Valley to approximately 23,600 insects—roughly a third as many again as recorded during the entire "legacy release" period of 1989–2017!
2021
The YRLSP was looking forward to another successful volunteer collection trip to the former Lowry Bombing and Gunnery Range in 2021, but (despite the extreme drought conditions prevailing on the Western Slope) continuously cool, wet spring conditions on the Front Range resulted in poor collection numbers during test runs by CDA crews. Ultimately it became clear that a collection trip to the Front Range by YRLSP volunteers would have produced only limited returns.
Nevertheless, John Kaltenbach of the CDA was able to supply us with 3,000 Aphthona and 250 Oberea, while Tyler Jacox of Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) was able to acquire an additional 6000 Aphthona and 200 Oberea from the Montana vendor. All of these insects were released at new locations in the Yampa River State Wildlife Area and Moffat County. The Routt County Weed
Program also released another 1000 Aphthona northwest of Hayden.
2022
The YRLSP again traveled to the former Lowry Bombing and Gunnery Range in June of 2022, for another successful volunteer collection trip under the auspices of the Colorado Department of Agriculture. This time we brought home approximately 12,000 Aphthona and 200 Oberea, which were quickly released at sites in Moffat County. Another 2000 Aphthona from the Lowry collection were later released by John Kaltenbach in the Yampa River State Wildlife Area, during our two-day Youth Outreach event.
Tyler Jacox of the CPW was again able to procure an additional 6000 Aphthona and 300 Oberea from the Montana vendor, all of which were also released in the Yampa River State Wildlife Area. A last-minute, surprise gift of an additional 4000 Aphthona were also added to the new releases on the YRSWA. (Originally intended for release in the White River basin, these were donated to the YRLSP by Deirdre Macnab of the White River Alliance, after they were mistakenly delivered to an address in Steamboat. With the clock ticking, and no one with the White River Alliance readily available to pick them up, Deirdre turned to the YRLSP for help rescuing the beetles.)
The YRLSP also purchased an additional 6000 Aphthona and 200 Oberea from our Montana source, which were released at five sites in Moffat County. Finally, the Routt County Weed Program also released an additional 1000 Aphthona on private lands south of the YRSWA.
Overall, in 2022 a total of 18,400 biological control insects were released in Moffat County, and another 13,300 in Routt County, for a combined total of approximately 31,700 biocontrol beetles for the season.

Aphthona biological control beetles dispersing from the lid of their container during a 2022 release in the Little Yampa Canyon.
YRLSP BioControl Release Locations
For more detailed information on specific YRLSP biological control releases, click HERE for a downloadable PDF spreadsheet. Each YRLSP biocontrol release receives a unique ID number, which keys to the numbered release sites depicted on the following maps.
YRLSP leafy spurge biological control releases in Routt County have focused on the Yampa River State Wildlife Area and vicinity.
YRLSP leafy spurge biological control releases in Moffat County. Approximately 18,400 biocontrol beetles were released in the county in 2022.
Biological Control Power Point
At a Working Group meeting in the spring of 2021, Tamara Naumann presented an update on the Yampa River Leafy Spurge Project's biological control activities of the previous two years, along with a proposal for where we should go next. View a downloadable PDF of her PowerPoint presentation by clicking on the image below, or HERE.
Biological Control Gallery

Terry, John and Ben, ready to start collecting leafy spurge biological control species at the former Lowry Bombing and Gunnery Range.

Ben sweeping leafy spurge for biological control species at the former Lowry Bombing and Gunnery Range.

A leafy spurge longhorn stem-boring beetle, Oberea erythrocephala.

Terry, John and Ben, ready to start collecting leafy spurge biological control species at the former Lowry Bombing and Gunnery Range.