Cat's claw creeper biocontrol

Macfadyena unguis-cati
Cat's claw creeper, yellow trumpet vine, funnel vine

Cat's claw creeper is a [Weed of National Significance](http://weeds.ala.org.au/WoNS/catsclawcreeper/) in Australia. It is a perennial noxious climbing weed found most commonly in coastal and sub-coastal regions of Qld and NSW. Cat's claw creeper poses a threat to biodiversity as it produces three-forked claw-like tendrils which allow it to attach itself to standing structures, eventually smothering them. In vegetation, this may cause canopy collapse, while fences and other infrastructure may also be affected and damaged. Three biocontrol agents have been released to control cat's claw creeper:

1. Cat's claw creeper tingid *Carvalhotingis visenda*
2. Cat's claw creeper leaf-tying moth *Hypocosmia pyrochroma*
3. Cat's claw creeper jewel beetle *Hylaeogena jureceki*

The combined effects of these three biocontrol agents is expected to reduce the spread and reproduction of cats claw creeper in Australia. Since its first released in 2007, more than half a million cats claw creeper tingid's have been released at 72 sites in QLD and northern NSW. Establishment has been reported at 80% of sites, however there are yet to be observations of the impact that this biocontrol agent is having on cats claw creeper in the field. The second agent the cats claw creeper leaf tying moth was released in 2008 at 17 sites across south-eastern QLD and northern NSW. Whilst larvae have been recovered from some release sites, it is too early to determine whether the culture has successfully established at these sites. The cat's claw creeper jewel beetle was approved for release in 2012, and 35,000 beetles were subsequently released at 53 sites up to 2014.

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