
Spotlights
University of Texas at Austin.
The cactus moth has a wingspan of only about an inch, but this invasive insect has the potential to cause largescale agricultural and ecological devastation in Texas, according to the first study of cactus moths in Texas. Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin's Invasive Species Project based at Brackenridge Field Laboratory in Austin have found that four native species of prickly pear cactus — and the species that rely on them — face a serious health threat from the moth.
Distribution / Maps / Survey Status
Federally Regulated
U.S. Government Printing Office. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations.
Images
Selected Resources
The section below contains highly relevant resources for this species, organized by source. Or, to display all related content view all resources for Cactus Moth.
Partnership
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Galveston Bay Estuary Program; Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC).
Federal Government
State and Local Government
North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Plant Industry Division. Plant Protection Section.
See also: Other Pest Topics for more resources
Academic
Citations
- Johnson, D.M, and P.D. Stiling. 1998. Distribution and dispersal of Cactoblastis cactorum (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), an exotic Opuntia-feeding moth, in Florida (PDF | 392 KB) Florida Entomologist 81(1):12-22.
- Simonson, S.E., T.J. Stohlgren, L. Tyler, W.P. Gregg, R. Muir, and L.J. Garrett. 2005. Preliminary assessment of the potential impacts and risks of the invasive cactus moth, Cactoblastis cactorum Berg, in the U.S. and Mexico (PDF | 745 KB) Final Report to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
- Zimmermann, H., S. Bloem, and H. Klein. 2004. Biology, History, Threat, Surveillance and Control of the Cactus Moth, Cactoblastis cactorum (PDF | 1.25 MB) Vienna: International Atomic Energy Agency.