A plume moth introduced to New Zealand to help the fight against the noxious weed ragwort is showing early positive results on West Coast.
The moth is one of two agents brought in after the ragwort flea beetle, successful elsewhere in New Zealand, had previously made little impact in the Coast's wet conditions.
The yellow weed is renowned as a horse killer, with about 2000 horses a year in Britain succumbing to the effects of eating ragwort. It often triggers liver failure, resulting in photosensitivity and in some instances cancer, according to Professor Derek Knottenbelt, the world's leading ragwort expert. He told a British conference in 2006 that as well as horses, humans, sheep and cattle were also at risk from the weed.
NZ Landcare Trust's West Coast Ragwort Project Coordinator Caryl Coates says plume moths are emerging from over-wintering just in time for ragwort, which in some areas is about to flower.
Caryl has monitored seven Plume Moth release sites so far this season and has found the agent at each one - a good sign for their persistence in Coast conditions. However, the crown boring moth, also brought in to fight ragwort, has not wintered well in its cages, and has not been found in field surveys.
Caryl is releasing plume moths from Karamea to Haast and monitoring past release sites. The Ragwort Control Trust Committee has set a $400 fee for moth releases.
Each ragwort plant produces thousands of seeds.
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