Britain's most pernicious invasive plant, Japanese knotweed, may have finally met its match in a two millimetre-long insect It has plagued gardeners for decades and affected thousands of house sales because of its ability to grow more than 9ft in just ten weeks. But Britain's most pernicious invasive plant, Japanese knotweed, may have finally met its match in a two millimetre-long insect. Research on Aphalara itadori, a psyllid or plant louse similar to aphids, has established that it inhibits the growth of the knotweed and poses no risk to native species, including the plant's close relative rhubarb. Scientists at CABI, formerly Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux International, announced that they have also succeeded in getting the insect to survive through British winters.
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Scientists have found an insect which inhibits growth of Japanese knotweed
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Aphalara itadori poses no risk to other species, meaning it could be released
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Scientists were able to keep the insect alive throughout the winter
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This is the first time biological control of a weed has been allowed
The study found the insect would feed on the sap of the knotweed, inhibiting its growth - but it failed to breed on any of 90 other native @placeholder species, meaning that they would face no threat from the insect.