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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Macfadyena unguis-cati 猫爪藤
别名：猫爪藤（Cat's claw creeper）、黄喇叭藤（yellow trumpet vine）、漏斗藤（funnel vine）

猫爪藤是澳大利亚的国家重要杂草（Weed of National Significance），为多年生有害攀援杂草，主要分布于昆士兰州（Qld）和新南威尔士州（NSW）的沿海及近沿海区域。该杂草对生物多样性构成严重威胁：其生有三叉爪状卷须，可附着于各类支撑结构，最终将其覆盖绞杀。在植被群落中，这可能引发冠层坍塌；同时围栏及其他基础设施也可能遭受其侵害并受损。

目前已有三种生物防治天敌（biocontrol agents）被用于防控猫爪藤：
1. 猫爪藤网蝽（Cat's claw creeper tingid，*Carvalhotingis visenda*）
2. 猫爪藤卷叶蛾（Cat's claw creeper leaf-tying moth，*Hypocosmia pyrochroma*）
3. 猫爪藤吉丁虫（Cat's claw creeper jewel beetle，*Hylaeogena jureceki*）

预计这三种生物防治天敌的联合作用可抑制澳大利亚境内猫爪藤的扩散与繁殖。自2007年首次释放以来，科研人员已在昆士兰州及新南威尔士州北部的72个释放点位投放了超50万只猫爪藤网蝽。据报道，80%的点位已成功定殖，但目前尚未有该生防天敌在野外对猫爪藤产生实际影响的观测记录。第二种生防天敌——猫爪藤卷叶蛾于2008年在昆士兰州东南部及新南威尔士州北部的17个点位完成释放。尽管已在部分释放点位采集到其幼虫，但目前仍无法确定该物种是否已在这些点位成功定殖。猫爪藤吉丁虫于2012年获批释放，截至2014年，科研人员已在53个点位累计释放了3.5万只该吉丁虫。

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