Diorhabda elongata, is my hero. This diminutive beetle is being tested as a biocontrol method for the invasive salt cedar (tamarisk) along select reaches of the Colorado River in Utah. The non-native tamarisk is a phreatophyte, and it has choked the riparian zone along many western rivers. Bad stuff.
Here's a recent article about monitoring the project. I can personally vouch that the voracious bug has made a significant impact on the tamarisk in the Moab area, while leaving all other native plant species thriving.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
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