Research Spotlight: Bio-Controls for Black Swallow-Wort
Black swallow-wort is a highly invasive vine in the U.S. and Canada, but in Europe it grows benignly, kept in check by a number of insect herbivores that only live in that part of the world. But what if we could bring one of those insects to New England? Could it control this highly invasive plant? Professor Lisa Tewksbury from the University of Rhode Island has released a number of Hypena opulenta moths in the Arboretum to see if it would control the black swallow-wort here, and now it’s time to return to that part of the landscape and see if the experiment has worked. Join Professor Tewksbury for a Research Spotlight to learn about her work and see if we can find evidence of Hypena opulenta larva on the black swallow-wort plants here.


