Scientists Discover Select Bug to Pit Against UK Invasive Plant Species
August 24, 2009 Kyriaki (Sandy) Venetis 
Japanese Knotweed photo courtesy of Y2U.co.uk.
Most of us don’t like bugs. And if your like me, if you see one in the house, your immediate reaction is to find a slipper to kill it. Sorry to the bug lovers!
In nature though, as with all other creatures, they serve a particular useful function. Researchers at the British University of Leicester have found an insect to combat the Japanese Knotweed, a widespread invasive plant species that was inadvertently let loose upon the country a little over a century ago.
Most people in the UK are very familiar with the problem, but to get everyone else up to speed, this knotweed causes the country problems, which according to the CABI (a nonprofit with expertise in agriculture and the environment) include the following:
- Infrastructure Damage: pushing through asphalt, building foundations, and concrete retaining walls.
- Recreational Nuisance: impeding access for anglers and boaters.
- Impeding Biodiversity: crowding out native vegetation and limiting animal species diversity. CABI describes it as having “the biodiversity of concrete.”