Stay in the know about wildlife, water quality, and ecosystems on Sanibel and Captiva Islands and in Southwest Florida

Will Insects Help Control Invasive Air Potato?

January 29, 2025
Ap5

Air potato (Dioscoreria bulbifera) is an invasive, exotic vine from Africa and southeast Asia that was first introduced as a food crop and ornamental plant in the United States.  Prior to Hurricane Ian, it had become a very troublesome exotic plant on the islands that required a lot of effort to eradicate.

Its large heart-shaped leaves can quickly dominate a tree line resulting in the shading of trees it’s growing on and the understory plants.

“Hurricane Ian really knocked it back in many areas, and in some cases better than we have. This is also true of other exotic plant species on the island,” said SCCF Wildlife & Habitat Management Director Chris Lechowicz.

Scientists with the USDA-Agricultural Research Service Invasive Plant Research Lab in Ft. Lauderdale have been releasing biological control insects into various areas in Florida to help control the spread of this noxious exotic plant.

The first insect to be released was Lilioceris cheni, a native of Asia. It was released several times years ago on the island.

The most recent insect to be released is Lilioceris egena, which is named the” air potato beetle” and is native to southeast Asia.

“It was brought into quarantine and tested for two years to make sure it would not harm any native plants before it was released in areas infested with air potatoes,” said Lechowicz.

The first batches were released in 2021 in Florida. They feed on the leaves and bulbils (the potato) of the plant. They also lay eggs inside the bulbils to prevent them from sprouting. With the help of SCCF Field Technician Dustin Lucas, they were released in several locations on Sanibel in late October 2024.

“As of yet, the results are unknown, as much of the air potato plants died from the storm surge of Helene and Milton,” said Lechowicz.

However, air potatoes did survive in the higher elevation areas of the island.

“We will get a better idea of any success in the spring and summer when new plants typically start to emerge,” he added.

Air potato beetles eating bulbils

Categories

Archives by Month