Re: Purple Loosestrife

In a message dated 8/11/00 5:39:26 PM Eastern Daylight Time, bpern@idcnet.com 
writes:

<< You said:
 "Of course the beetles are not simply going to all conveniently die off
 when they have finished with the purple loosestrife.
 
 Why not? Are there not some species of insects or even animals that can only
 eat a particular kind of plant? Can Monarch butterfly larvae eat other
 plants than milkweed? Can Pandas adapt to living without bamboo? >>

===>I don't know about the Monarch larvae nor the pandas.  I also don't know 
about the numbers involved.  I assume we're talking about a LOT of beetles.  
Not a one of them will learn to survive on another species?  Our history with 
plant imports and other insects doesn't exactly encourage me on this.  And 
remember that the original posting was VERY specific--it did not say the 
beetles would not feed on ANY other plant, it only mentioned agricultural and 
native species as having been tested.  Perhaps they'll go after kudzu, 
Japanese honeysuckle, water hyacinths, Tatarian and Amur honeysuckles next 
(RIGHT! like we should be so lucky).  Do we know for a fact that these 
imported beetles will not breed with other species creating a new beetle that 
only eats, for example, daylilies?  
Bill Lee

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