Broadback wrote:
Bob Hobden wrote:
Why does this make me nervous?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7531221.stm

probably visions of Cane Toads in Oz or the Mongoose in Jamaica or
Foxes in Oz.......
I do hope the research is done properly.
My thoughts exactly Bob. What else does it attack, what will keeps is
under control? So many bad examples litter our history!

But there is at least one success story as well - using the Mexican
cochineal insect to wipe out opuntia in Australia.

It would seem that the failures are due to "unselective" predators being
introduced. Those you have listed are very unselective - their introduction
smacks of desperation without too much forethought! There is a much closer
relationship between insects and plants than between higher animal forms and
plants (eg specific pollinators for orchids).

Having said that, the Australian opuntia problem was much easier to deal
with as there are no native Cactaceae in Australia, and once the food source
was exhausted, that was that - there was nothing else the insect could turn
to. There are, however, a number of native Polygonaceae in the UK, and one
wonders of the Aphalara could turn to those.

--
Jeff
(cut "thetape" to reply)