Ipomoea carnea subsp. fistulosa

I. carnea subsp. fistulosa seeds are heavily infested by the beetle Megacerus flabelliger, which has been suggested as a biological control agent in areas where this plant is a troublesome weed (e.g. India). However, an uncontrolled release of the beetle could have devastating consequences for the crop Ipomoea batatas and its hundreds of associated economically important varieties (Frey, 1995).