| Revision as of 08:16, 17 April 2007 editGavin.collins (talk | contribs)18,503 editsm Expect -> Expected← Previous edit | Revision as of 12:54, 25 April 2007 edit undoGavin.collins (talk | contribs)18,503 edits Removal of paragraphs that do not citeg a reputable source for their argumentsNext edit → | ||
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| == Biological pest control == | == Biological pest control == | ||
| I |
I withdrawn the following text from this article since it based on my own observations, and acknowledge that because this is not corroborated by any scientific study, it should be replaced by a reputable source regarding the ] of horse chesnut leaf miner: | ||
| :"Like other moths of the Lepidoptera order, its wings are covered by minute, powdery scales that are slightly sticky to the touch. The scales are shed by the moth on contact, and accumulate as a sticky powder like coating on the leaves and leaf stems on which it resides. | :"Like other moths of the Lepidoptera order, its wings are covered by minute, powdery scales that are slightly sticky to the touch. The scales are shed by the moth on contact, and can accumulate as a sticky powder like coating on the leaves and leaf stems on which it resides. | ||
| :This coating acts as a natural barrier that protects the moth from attack by common predators such as spiders, whose webs are rendered ineffectual by sticky powder like scales. As the coating accumulates during periods of dry weather, it may also make the moth unpalatable to other predators, such as birds, enabling the population of Horse-chestnut leaf miner an to grow unchecked by ]". | :This coating acts as a natural barrier that protects the moth from attack by common predators such as spiders, whose webs are rendered ineffectual by sticky powder like scales. As the coating accumulates during periods of dry weather, it may also make the moth unpalatable to other predators, such as birds, enabling the population of Horse-chestnut leaf miner an to grow unchecked by ]". | ||
Revision as of 12:54, 25 April 2007
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Biological pest control
I withdrawn the following text from this article since it based on my own observations, and acknowledge that because this is not corroborated by any scientific study, it should be replaced by a reputable source regarding the physiology of horse chesnut leaf miner:
- "Like other moths of the Lepidoptera order, its wings are covered by minute, powdery scales that are slightly sticky to the touch. The scales are shed by the moth on contact, and can accumulate as a sticky powder like coating on the leaves and leaf stems on which it resides.
- This coating acts as a natural barrier that protects the moth from attack by common predators such as spiders, whose webs are rendered ineffectual by sticky powder like scales. As the coating accumulates during periods of dry weather, it may also make the moth unpalatable to other predators, such as birds, enabling the population of Horse-chestnut leaf miner an to grow unchecked by Biological pest control".
Although other contributors to this article have provided suggestions why this leaf miner has spread so quickly (e.g. its short reproductive cycle, climatic change), I have not seen any explanation as to why it is not subject to Biological pest control. Intuitively, the increase in the population of the leaf miner could be expected to give rise to a corresponding increase in predators, until such time equilibrium between leaf miner and predator populations could be reached.
Clearly there is a gap in this article that should be addressed, and I hope that the conclusions drawn from my observations, even if what I have written turns out to be incorrect, start to address the issue of why the moth's physiology make it resistent to Biological pest control; I for one would be interested in finding out more. Gavin Collins 11:16, 16 April 2007 (UTC)
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