Holey Hearts
September Six Word Photo Story Challenge: “Shadows”
Air potato beetles to the rescue
Air potato vines (Dioscorea bulbifera), native to Asia and Africa, are an invasive species here in Florida and in other Southeastern states. They climb vertically, choking out native plants, and can grow as much as five inches per day.
My city used to have an Annual Great Air Potato Round-Up when a thousand volunteers would fan out across wooded areas to dig up the underground tubers that produce the destructive vines, often accumulating more than 15,000 pounds of potatoes in a weekend.
In 2012, the Round-Ups were replaced with Air Potato Beetles imported from China and Nepal to control the invasive plants biologically. The red and black beetles did their jobs so well that the program is considered one of the greatest successes in biological control.
Air potato vines continue to appear each spring, but the beetle larvae and the adult beetles prevent the vines from maturing, leaving these lacey heart-shaped leaves for our enjoyment.
© Dennett 2023
In response to the September Shadows prompt by Mary Chang Story Writer:
Other Shadows stories: