A Moth to the Rescue

In Florida, more than 100 tiny moths from Australia were released on Feb. 14 as the first salvo in an effort to control an invasive weed.

While in its larval stage, the white moth, Austromusotima camptonozale, which is only a half an inch from wingtip to wingtip, feeds on the leaves of the Old World climbing fern, Lygodium microphyllum.

This climbing vine has spread out of control over more than 100,000 acres in south and central Florida.  It forms thick blankets of vegetation that can smother grasses, shrubs and small trees.

The fern is native to Australia, Africa and tropical Asia and the Pacific Islands, but natural enemies in these locations keep this aggressive plant from crowding out other species.  Florida does not have such a check - yet.

"Land managers consider this fern to be the state's worst invasive species, so we hope the moth will begin to offer much-needed relief," said Robert Pemberton, an entomologist with the Agricultural Research Service.

Pemberton and others have been searching for the fern's natural enemies, and they believe they have found an appropriate one in this small insect.  If successful, the moth would be an environmentally friendly alternative to the use of herbicides, which are the current method for battling the fern.

-- LiveScience Staff

Credit: ARS