Camelthorn, Alhagi maurorum Medik. (Fabaceae, Leguminosae), a native component of the Asian flora, is invasive in Australia, South Africa and the USA where it is considered a noxious weed in several states. To date there is no biological control program against this weed; however, initial investigations into potential biocontrol agents revealed an eriophyid mite, Aceria alhagi Vidović & Kamali, causing considerable damage in the native range. The mite attacks the growing tips as well as the flowers of the plants, not only reducing height and plant vigor but also reducing seed set. To assess the host range and impact of this potential biological control agent, on the target weed, no-choice tests as well as an open-field impact experiment were conducted at the research farm of the School of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran, over 2 years (2018 and 2019). Results from the no-choice tests suggest that A. alhagi poses negligible risk to the non-target plants tested in this study. In the first year of the open field impact test, plants did not flower; however, plant height was significantly reduced by mite attack. In the second year, significant reductions in plant biomass (26%), seed production (95%) and photosynthesis (53%) were observed in response to mite attack that would potentially limit the competitiveness of camelthorn as well as long-distance dispersal through seed in the invaded range. These results suggest that A. alhagi is a promising candidate for the biological control of camelthorn and should be prioritized for any future studies, expanding on the host range testing and safety.

骆驼，Alhagi maurorum Medik。（豆科，豆科）是亚洲植物区系的天然成分，在澳大利亚，南非和美国都有入侵，在一些州被认为是有害杂草。迄今为止，还没有针对这种杂草的生物防治计划。但是，对潜在生物防治剂的初步调查显示，有一种螨类螨虫Aceria alhagiVidović和Kamali，在本地范围内造成了相当大的损失。螨虫侵害植物的生长尖端和花朵，不仅降低高度和植物活力，而且降低种子结实。为了评估这种潜在生物防治剂的寄主范围和影响，在目标杂草上，在伊朗设拉子的设拉子大学农业学院的研究农场进行了非选择试验和露天试验。 ，超过2年（2018年和2019年）。无选择测试的结果表明，A。alhagi对本研究中测试的非目标植物造成的风险可忽略不计。在开阔地带冲击试验的第一年，植物没有开花。然而，螨虫侵袭使植物高度显着降低。在第二年，观察到由于螨虫侵袭，植物生物量（26％），种子产量（95％）和光合作用（53％）显着减少，这可能会限制骆驼的竞争能力以及通过种子在入侵范围内。这些结果表明，一个。alhagi是骆驼的生物防治的有前途的候选者，应在以后的研究中优先考虑，以扩大宿主范围的测试和安全性。