In 1957, a South American moth was released in the Caribbean to control prickly pear; by 1989 it had reached Florida and was attacking native and endangered cacti

• According to scientists, the South American cactus moth primarily attacks Opuntia species, commonly known as prickly pear cactus.
• It can also occasionally affect Nopalea, Cylindropuntia and Consolea species.
• A pest once deliberately moved around the world to solve an agricultural problem has become a problem of its own.