Where are cactus moths invasive?
Larva of Cactoblastis cactorum. The cactus moth (Cactoblastis cactorum) is a moth native to South America, but an invasive species here in the US. It attacks Opuntia stricta and O. engelmanii, keystone species in ecosystems of south Texas and northern Mexico, but will also attack other North American species.
Why are cactus moths invasive?
The cactus moth is so efficient at eliminating Opuntia cacti species that it is used as a biological control agent in areas where Opuntia are invasive. Thus, the cactus moth are a considerable threat to the native Opuntia cactus population and the ecosystem it supports.
Where are cactus moths found in Texas?
Brazoria county
Cactus moth was first detected in Texas in 2017 in Brazoria county and has since been found in Matagorda, Colorado, and Chambers counties. Adult cactus moths have been known to disperse naturally a maximum of 16 miles.
What damage does the cactus moth do?
The cactus moth can kill most cacti, particularly those with flat pads. In Florida, the moth has already seriously damaged the populations of six species of pear cacti. The cactus moth is most threatening to the desert environments of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
How did the cactus moth get to Texas?
The cactus moth island-hopped from the Caribbean to Florida about 30 years ago. After it started to spread toward Texas, UT Austin’s invasive species research team began preparing for its arrival by studying its natural enemies with collaborator Patricia Folgarait in Argentina.
What eats a cactus moth?
Ants
Ants, the moths’ main predators, consume its larvae. New World monkeys dig the larvae and pupae out from the flattened leaf-like stems, or “cladodes”, of the cacti. The relationship between Cactoblastis cactorum and Opuntia cactus species is parasitic: the moth feeds on the host cactus.
Is prickly pear invasive in Texas?
Texas is now the front line of an ecological battle pitting a devastating invasive moth against the state’s ubiquitous prickly pear cactus.
What do cactus moth eat?
The cactus moth’s larvae eat the cladodes from the inside out and can destroy entire stands of cacti, causing them to collapse in rotting heaps (see “Controlling Cactoblastis cactorum” section). In some places where prickly pear is considered an invasive pest, the moth has been used to control the cacti.
Where does the cactus moth come from?
The cactus moth, Cactoblastis cactorum, is native to northern Argentina and parts of Perú and Paraguay. It was introduced into the Caribbean islands in the 1960’s to control several (native) prickly pear cactus (Opuntia) species (Simonson 2005). In 1989 the cactus moth was discovered to have spread to southern Florida.