Moths in the fight against horehound

摘要

In the final of a series looking at prominent Australian weeds and their control, Kondinin Group investigates the best tactics to use against horehound, including two moths. Horehound is a perennial herb similar in shape and form to lavender. It contains a bitter alkaloid that makes it unpalatable to grazing animals and taints the meat of animals forced to graze it.Introduced to Australia during 1798 as a garden herb and for beer brewing, horehound (Marrubium vulgare) now occurs throughout southern Australia, including arid and high rainfall areas. The weed has been declared a noxious pest in NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania. It is also found in Queensland in areas receiving more than 200mm of annual rainfall.