农业部批准释放欧洲象甲对付入侵水生植物花蔺 华盛顿州立大学普亚勒普中心已育22只
据《Capital Press》10月16日报道，美国农业部将发放许可证，释放一种欧洲象甲（Bagous nodulosus）以防治入侵水生植物花蔺。农业部10月15日宣布，已得出结论认为这种象甲不会攻击本地植物，确认了其2024年的评估结果。
这种象甲已在华盛顿州立大学位于普亚勒普的研究中心繁育：今年7月，该中心收到22只来自瑞士的象甲。华盛顿州立大学推广教授、该州杂草生物防治专家詹妮弗·安德烈亚斯表示，项目组希望在一两年内繁育出足够数量，再投放到州内各处水域。“接下来这一年将真正是学习的一年，”她说。
花蔺原产于欧洲、亚洲与北非，1897年时已出现在加拿大，现已蔓延至23个州。它堵塞灌溉沟渠、破坏水禽栖息地，并为一种传播“游泳者瘙痒”的寄生虫的宿主蜗牛提供理想栖息环境；机械与人工除草困难，除草剂对这种水下植物效果有限。安德烈亚斯与同行2012年起着手论证引进该象甲，并于2022年向农业部正式提出申请。
USDA Approves Release of European Weevil Against Invasive Flowering Rush; WSU Rearing Stock in Puyallup
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will issue permits to release a European weevil, Bagous nodulosus, to control flowering rush, an invasive aquatic plant spreading in the West, Capital Press reported on October 16. The agency announced on October 15 that it has concluded the weevil will not attack native plants, confirming its 2024 finding.
The weevils are already being reared at Washington State University's research center in Puyallup, which received 22 weevils of Swiss origin in July. Jennifer Andreas, a WSU Extension professor and the state's weed biocontrol specialist, said the university hopes to breed enough weevils over the next year or two to build up a population for release at sites around the state. 'This coming year will really be a year of learning,' she said.
Flowering rush, native to Europe, Asia and northern Africa, had reached Canada by 1897 and has spread to 23 states. It clogs irrigation ditches, spoils waterfowl habitat and provides ideal habitat for an invasive snail that hosts a parasite causing swimmer's itch. Herbicides have limited effect on the underwater plant, according to USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Northwest experts began building the case for importing the weevil in 2012, and petitioned USDA in 2022.
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图片来源：图：入侵水生植物花蔺实景。图片来源：Wikimedia Commons（gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K 摄），CC BY 2.0。Photo: 入侵水生植物花蔺实景. Source: Wikimedia Commons (gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K), CC BY 2.0.
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