FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 14, 2005
CONTACT: Randy Smith, SFWMD, (561)-682-6197
                  Robert Pemberton, US Dept. of Ag., (954) 475-0541, Ext. 106
                  Matt Mitchell, DEP, (850) 245-2149

Florida Releases Leaf-Eating Moths to Combat Invasive Plants

--Moths attack invasive plants, help protect Everglades, preserve native plant communities--

HOBE SOUND -- An army of leaf-eating moths was released today at Jonathan Dickinson State Park to help combat Lygodium (Lygodium microphyllum), an invasive climbing fern spreading through Florida’s natural areas and threatening native wildlife. The invasive control project was developed through a partnership between the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service Invasive Plant Research Laboratory.

“For the first time, Florida is using insects as a front line in the ongoing battle to control non-native, ecologically damaging invasive plants,” said SFWMD Director Henry Dean. “Biological controls are the key to managing this weed. The release of this insect is an important step in developing an effective integrated management strategy for this highly invasive species.”

Caterpillars of the Lygodium moth (Austromusotima camptonozal) eat Lygodium leaves - killing the small invasive plants and reducing the competitiveness of larger plants. The moth is the first of a suite of biological control agents that will be used to subdue the spread of the vigorous weed in Florida.

“The Florida Park Service is dedicated to the control of exotic species across our more than 700,000 acres,” said Florida State Parks Director Mike Bullock. “Using insects to combat environmental invaders provides land managers with another tool for protecting native wildlife and restoring Florida’s natural lands.”

Florida’s biologists and land managers have waged other battles against harmful environmental invaders. In the 1980s, melaleuca reached critical levels, dominating almost a half million acres in South Florida. Through effective interagency coordination and management using both herbicides and two biological control agents, melaleuca populations in the region are now mostly under control.

While melaleuca is decreasing regionally, Lygodium is spreading and threatening to overtake native plant communities. The fern’s sun-blocking canopy kills native plants, with vines invading remote wilderness areas difficult to access with traditional herbicide controls.

Jonathan Dickinson State Park offers nearly 11,500 acres of land and waterways to visitors, with activities such as camping, canoeing, hiking, bicycling, picnicking, fresh and saltwater fishing and guided tours of the wild and scenic Loxahatchee River. With more than 172,000 visitors last year, Jonathan Dickinson State Park pumped more than $6 million into the local economy.

Florida’s state park system is one of the largest in the country, with 158 parks covering more than 700,000 acres. Over the last five years, Florida added eight new parks and more than 203,000 acres to its nationally-renowned park system and increased attendance by five million, welcoming a record 19.1 million visitors last year. In 1999, Florida received the National Gold Medal for Excellence award for its outstanding state park system.

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