Invasive species can cause serious devastation to an ecosystem. They are often very dangerous because of the fact that they don’t have any natural predators to keep their number in check.

In the state of Virginia, there are two main invasive species that are causing problems, and unfortunately, one makes the other stronger, which causes the battle to get more difficult.

The first of the two threats has been in the region since the 1700s. The Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) was brought into the US because it is an attractive tree that many people love. Unfortunately, it grows very quickly and can easily overrun native plants. In addition, it releases chemicals that can harm other plants.

The second is the spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula). It is a type of moth that looks a lot like a butterfly, so many people don’t want to kill them, even though they are causing lots of environmental problems.

Lanternflies produce a substance called honeydew as waste, and that honeydew creates the perfect environment for harmful mold, which can kill the local plant life.

Carrie Fearer is an assistant professor of forest pathology at Virginia Tech. In a statement to IFLScience, she explained how fighting one can help fight the other:

“It grows fast, releases chemicals that harm native plants, and now it’s helping the spotted lanternfly spread. It’s a double invasion. If you remove the tree, you remove their main food source. That directly reduces their numbers and their ability to spread to crops and vineyards.”

The mold they attract is called sooty mold, which is a disease that can inhibit the growth of many types of plants. This is done by hampering the photosynthesize, preventing the plant from getting enough energy.

While the lanternfly can survive on other plants, they prefer the tree of heaven, which gives them the nutrients that they need to grow and reproduce quickly. In addition, eating the leaves of this tree makes the lanternfly toxic to birds. If they weren’t toxic, the birds would learn to eat them, which would help to further control their numbers in the region.

There are many things that are being done to try to combat both of these invasive species. First, they are encouraging local residents to cut down and eliminate the tree of heaven whenever it is seen, and also to kill any lanternflies that are found. In addition to that, they are looking to a natural fungus that lives in the area and may be able to combat the tree of heaven. Fearer explains:

“We’re studying a native fungus, Verticillium nonalfalfae, that infects and kills tree of heaven. It’s a biological control. Instead of cutting or spraying, we use a pathogen already found in our forests to weaken and kill this invasive tree. Managing tree of heaven with a biological control would be more cost-effective than repeated pesticide treatments for spotted lanternflies. Removing tree of heaven makes a field less attractive to spotted lanternfly, so spotted lanternfly populations will be lower and growers will end up using less insecticide and protecting more crops in the long run.”

Residents of Virginia and surrounding states have a long battle ahead of them if they hope to eliminate, or at least control, the spread of these invasive species. Their plan of attack, however, shows promise.

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