Between 1969 and 1972, the US released a European weevil to fight invasive musk thistle; it later attacked at least 25 native thistles, including rare and endangered species
- Rhinocyllus conicus (Image Credit: Canva)A biological control programme launched in the United States more than five decades ago has become a cautionary example of how attempts to manage invasive species can produce unexpected ecological consequences.
- According to a USDA Forest Service assessment of invasive species in the Southwest, the thistle seedhead weevil (Rhinocyllus conicus) was introduced to the US between 1969 and 1972 to help control musk thistle and other invasive thistles.
- The insect was expected to weaken the plants by attacking their reproductive structures and reducing seed pro
Unverified
- Rhinocyllus conicus (Image Credit: Canva)A biological control programme launched in the United States more than five decades ago has become a cautionary example of how attempts to manage invasive species can produce unexpected ecological consequences.
- According to a USDA Forest Service assessment of invasive species in the Southwest, the thistle seedhead weevil (Rhinocyllus conicus) was introduced to the US between 1969 and 1972 to help control musk thistle and other invasive thistles.
- The insect was expected to weaken the plants by attacking their reproductive structures and reducing seed pro
Sources: Times of India