Our conker trees are under attack by 'alien' invaders!
Have you noticed whitish patches on the leaves of horse chestnut trees? By the middle of summer, the whitish patches die and turn brown. Sometimes whole trees turn brown, and it looks like autumn has come early.
The damage is caused by a tiny 'alien' species of leaf-mining moth, which is invading the UK. For biologists, an 'alien' is a species not naturally found in an area or habitat. The moth’s caterpillars eat the leaves from the inside. Infected trees are weakened, and produce smaller conkers.
Can bug-eating bugs save the trees?
Luckily, there is help at hand. Many of the invading moths are killed by natural pest controllers in the form of other tiny insects. This is one way in which living things interact with each other in our web of life.
What can we do?
Scientists are finding out more about the invading alien moths and the pest controllers - see the video for more information. You can help. Your missions, should you choose to accept them, are:
