Ragwort is a highly toxic pasture weed, causing liver damage in cattle and horses. The cinnabar moth was introduced in 1929 as a biological control against the plant. Over the years its caterpillars, which feed on ragwort leaves, have managed to control the spread of the plant in some parts of New Zealand.
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In0370Rbt.tif
Photograph by Dick Roberts
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The cinnabar moth showed up
Katherine Macfarlane (not verified)
17 January 2012
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