Paul Brown on the prickly stick insect, Acanthoxyla geisovii

Alien species from other parts of the world often cause serious problems to native wildlife. An example is the New Zealand flatworm which has colonised large areas of Ireland and Scotland since its accidental introduction in the 1960s. It is particularly unpopular because the flatworm eats native earthworms which are vital for conditioning soil. Fortunately it prefers wetter climates so its spread eastwards has been curtailed by weather conditions.

Another much more exotic alien from the same country is the prickly stick insect, Acanthoxyla geisovii. Surprisingly, this startling looking insect has been established in Britain for 100 years apparently without harming any native wildlife.



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