In a weed-choked Queensland his, a meticulously deliberate mission is underway to snuff out an exotic target.
One may even name it weevil genius.
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The cabomba weevil is Australia’s latest agent of organic management and it is simply been unleashed on an aquatic plant that is taking on the nation’s waterways.
The hungry little bug is a South American native, identical to the launched cabomba plant it has been imported to assault.
However in contrast to the plant – which escaped into the wild after being dropped at Australia within the 1960s as an aquarium plant – the weevil’s introduction has been scrupulously managed.
For about 20 years, scientists have been investigating organic management brokers for cabomba, which may develop 5cm a day and outcompete native species.
Little by little over that point, the record of contenders was whittled all the way down to only one after exhaustive checks confirmed the weevil is a really fussy eater and can solely dine on the invasive plant.
CSIRO scientist Kumaran Nagalingam admits to some nerves after the weevil was launched at three trial websites in Queensland, however he is additionally positive all might be properly given how a lot cautious work has been finished.
“Our analysis in South America reveals that the cabomba weevil spends its complete life feeding solely on cabomba and in depth analysis in Australian quarantine has confirmed the cabomba weevil is just not a danger to native plant species,” Nagalingam says.
Actually, the weevil may very well be a brand new finest buddy for Australian vegetation and animals, which have suffered beneath the load of the cabomba invasion.
“It chokes the waterways and the place it (dominates) you will not discover another native vegetation rising,” Nagalingam says.
“It outcompetes them and grows in an enormous mass, proscribing the sunshine penetration different vegetation want. It additionally impacts water circulate, making it stagnant, and that modifications the nutrient combine.”
Knock-on results even prolong to platypus and water rats, with scientists recording decrease populations in areas the place cabomba has taken over.
One of many trial launch websites is Lake Kurwongbah, a water asset north of Brisbane that is managed by Seqwater.
Elevating weevils
With the assistance of the CSIRO, Seqwater has constructed a weevil nursery the place new generations are being reared for future releases.
Nagalingam says the weevil won’t ever wipe out cabomba, however as soon as the beetle has taken maintain and begins to breed by itself it ought to radically scale back impacts on native species.
Seqwater has lengthy supported efforts to discover a organic management agent for cabomba in its residence nation of Argentina.
It is hoped the weevil will assist slash the cash the water provider has needed to spend controlling the weed, which additionally reduces the water-holding capability of dams and considerably provides to the price of treating ingesting water.
Additional releases of weevils are deliberate for Lake MacDonald, close to Noosa.
The CSIRO can be investigating releases in central Queensland, northern NSW, and probably the Northern Territory.
