A weevil designed to kill an issue aquatic weed is the newest organic agent chosen to deal with the financial and biodiversity scourge of invasive species within the UK
Atmosphere
5 August 2022
Listronotus elongatus, a South American weevil
CABI
Housed in a plastic meals container and measuring simply 0.5 centimetres lengthy, the weevil doesn’t look very menacing. But this specimen of Listronotus elongatus is the UK’s newest hope in a brand new wave of organic methods to regulate invasive species slightly than utilizing unsustainable chemical and mechanical strategies.
The South American creature’s goal is floating pennywort (Hydrocotyle ranunculoides), an invasive plant that chokes rivers and lakes by creating heavy floating mats, reducing water oxygen ranges and outcompeting native crops.
The weevil I …
