Re: Fw: Plant pest.
- To: Multiple recipients of list AROID-L
- Subject: Re: Fw: Plant pest.
- From: J* B*
- Date: Fri, 8 Dec 2000 21:43:43 -0600 (CST)
-----Original Message-----
From: John Presnell <jcpresnell@earthlink.net>
To: Multiple recipients of list AROID-L <aroid-l@mobot.org>
Date: Thursday, December 07, 2000 10:48 AM
Subject: Re: Fw: Plant pest.
Dear Craig,
Thanks for taking the time to inform me, you are probably correct, as I did
not WANT to believe that any person or agency would or could release suce a
pest with such broard food selections on the inviroment! It eats
EVERYTHING! "Sandwichman' is a good name, his little 'house' is like a
sandwich, and he sure makes sandwiches of every plant he can get to, above
AND below the water! There must be many 'natural' controls and predators
in the wild, as I have not run across it 'out there', but in the protected
enviroment of the home he goes wild.
Thanks again,
Sincerely,
Julius
>>Julius,
You may be compounding your critters. Insect contols have been
introduced for Eichhornia and I also believe for Pistia, but it was
after extensive testing and they have been shown to be species selective
in their dietary preferences.
The insect you describe sounds to me to be a widespread aquatic plant
pest known commonly as the China Mark Moth or more colloquially as the
"Sandwich Man". They range from at least here in S Fl to Central TX and
will damage about any aquatic plant, but are not the insects released to
control Eichhornia or Pistia. I don't have it in front of me, but can
get you the latin name for the Mark Moth if you wish.
Craig<<
