After beetles were released in 2001 to control tamarisk, predicted flycatcher habitat along the lower Virgin River fell 94.2% between 2010 and 2015

Tamarisk leaf beetles were introduced to control an invasive shrub, but their damage coincided with a 90.7% decline in predicted flycatcher habitat along part of the Virgin River. (Wikimedia Commons)

In one desert river in the Southwest, there is a small bug and a small bird that are intertwined together. From satellite photos, it is found that when beetles were introduced to eat an invasive bush, 90 percent of the habitat required by the rare songbird has been reduced. The reason behind such reduction tells … Read more