Page 59 - World of Animals - Issue #33

Alien invasion

Tiny invaders, The imported menace
huge impacts The Caribbean native is a cantankerous insect that’s blazing a trail of
These tiny terrors have taken destruction through the southern United States
over in their new territories The fire ant is pretty much the The fire ant is a huge agricultural

poster child of a successful invasive menace; not only are their mounds
species. They’re capable of surviving many and unsightly, but they also
on just shelter and moisture for destroy crops by chewing on

weeks – a good quality to have if saplings and flower buds, and infest
you’re planning to hitch a ride on a and damage electrical equipment.
ship. They’re adaptable, capable of They attack in such numbers and Native range
South Americas
building mounds out of almost any with such ferocity that they are Introduced range
kind of soil. And they’re extremely capable of killing or blinding cattle Southern United States and
aggressive; anything that roams too and other domesticated animals. Australia
Method of invasion
close to the nest is swarmed, stung They’ve claimed a few human Stowaways on ship ballast
Asian tiger mosquito and killed. scalps, too.
The used tyre trade has enabled
the tiger mosquito to spread from
Southeast Asia to every continent
except Antarctica. Unfortunately, this
bloodthirsty insect also brings along
with it a host of deadly diseases.

Zebra mussel
Arriving in America from Europe via
ship ballast, these tiny invertebrates
cling to solid surfaces in water and
are responsible for clogging inner-city
water intakes. They also absorb
organic pollutants.

Chinese mitten crab
Also travelling via ballast water, but Native range
to the UK, this hardy crab can survive Europe and Western Asia
Introduced range
in polluted waters and outcompetes North America, Australia,
local fish for space and shelter. Worse New Zealand and South

still, their burrowing habit causes Africa
untold damage to river banks. Method of invasion
Introduced by European
settlers
Wreaking havoc on American crops

How a bard-brained idea led to a new bird rising to the top of America’s roost
A throwaway line in Henry IV, to introduce every bird named Starlings are extremely
Part One, has wreaked havoc on in William Shakespeare’s plays. It competitive when it comes to
American crops hundreds of years took three attempts to establish searching for nesting spots, and
Asian longhorn beetle after it was written. The ill-fated the notoriously gregarious will frequently evict native species
This beetle’s bark-borrowing habit American Acclimatization Society European starling, but once they such as bluebirds and sapsuckers if © Alamy; Corbis; NaturePL; FLPA; Thinkstock

kills a great many trees in its native was a group founded in 1871 settled, they thrived. There are they find one they like. Their ability
range of China, Japan and Korea, and dedicated to enriching the New now an estimated 200 million to span large areas could also
the mayhem is spreading across the World’s wildlife by introducing starlings across America, travelling encourage invasive plants such
globe as it makes unchecked wooden

shipping crates its home. species from Europe. Among in large flocks and causing untold as English ivy through long-range
their many follies was an attempt damage to agricultural crops. seed dispersal.
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