The tree of paradise wreaks havoc in the US: scientists try to cope with the "double rush" of invaders

The trees grow quickly, emit chemicals that harm native plants and, even worse, promote the spread of spotted lanternfly, another invasive species, IFLScience writes. In Focus. Technologies has its own Telegram channel.

Subscribe so you don't miss the latest and most exciting news from the world of science! As a result, Virginians face a so-called “double whammy” — one invasive species creates an exceptional environment for the spread of another invasive invader, according to Virginia Polytechnic University associate professor Carrie Fier. According to research, killing trees of paradise can be a good strategy because it literally eliminates spotted lanternflies, also known as Lycorma delicatula.

This directly reduces the number of insects and their ability to spread to crops and vineyards. Lycorma delicatula has become the number one unwanted insect among invasive species. To the untrained eye, their colorful wings may look like those of a butterfly, but these nomadic cicadas are wreaking havoc as they spread from their native China. Studies have shown that these insects leave behind a destructive trail in the form of honeydew, which is released as a product of life.

Honeydew promotes the growth of sooty fungus. On one tree of the heavenly kingdom, sooty flies can gather in huge quantities, and the more insects, the stronger the fungus grows. Sooty fungus is a fungal disease that can suppress the growth of plants, disrupting their ability to photosynthesize and produce the energy necessary for growth.

Scientists note that the problem would not be so large-scale if spotted lanternflies were concentrated only on the invasive tree of paradise, but they are able to feed on many species. And yet, fortunately for us, insects cannot survive without a paradise tree. In its absence, spotted lanternflies grow more slowly, reproduce more poorly, and become easy prey because they lose their superpowers: chemicals derived from food that make them toxic to birds.

As a result, according to Fier, the fungus can be both part of the problem and the solution. The researchers focused on studying the local fungus Verticillium nonalfalfae, which infects and kills the paradise tree. In simple words, scientists have embarked on the path of biological control - instead of pruning and spraying, they use a natural pathogen capable of destroying an invasive species.