Well… they are attacking the agriculture business in San Diego. Not very exciting, but interesting. These things are apparently pretty nasty and are probably gonna cause millions of dollars in damage. Yikes.
Via Greenhouse Magazine:
Four adult light brown apple moths (Epiphyas postvittana Walker) have been discovered in a trap set 1 mile east of San Diego’s Balboa Park. The discovery will trigger a state “interior” quarantine of 1.5 miles around the site and a subsequent federal quarantine that could cover the rest of the county.
Calif. Dept. of Food and Agriculture and USDA have placed an additional 300 traps in the 9 square miles surrounding, the find site. San Diego County Agricultural Commission Robert Atkins said the public could help by not moving any plants or produce and by allowing traps to be placed on their property. The county has had 1,000 traps in urban areas of San Diego County since April 2007.
Native to Australia, the moth, which does not have any natural enemies and is considered invasive, has been found in other parts of the state. The larvae feed on the leaves and fruit of more than 2,000 plants including ornamental plants such as rose, chrysanthemum, dahlia, and trees including oak, willow, poplar and walnut.
The county is conducting a survey of growers to determine the impact the quarantine will have on San Diego agricultural producers. An informational meeting for San Diego growers and farmers will be held on Aug. 10 in Fallbrook, Calif.
Groovy San Diego Fun 