Asian Tiger Mosquito
Aedes albopictus
How did it get here?
The Asian tiger mosquito hitched a ride to the
United States in used tires imported from Japan
or Taiwan. It was first discovered in the
continental United States in 1985 in Houston,
Texas. The insect is native to New Guinea and
the islands in the Indian Ocean, ranging
westward to Madagascar, northward through India
and Pakistan, and through China to Korea and
northern Japan.
How to spot
Aedes albopictus has striking black-and-white
checkered legs and a white “racing stripe" that runs
down the top of its thorax. Its abdomen has an
incomplete, white stripe that appears as a series of
bold, white dots. If you receive a bite early in the
morning or late afternoon (after sunrise and before
dusk), the culprit is most likely the Asian tiger
mosquito. Unlike other mosquitoes, it is active and
feeds during the day (diurnal), with the females
seeking blood meals from warm-blooded animals,
especially people. Your breathing gives you away:
Female mosquitos hunt by homing in on carbon dioxide,
a byproduct of respiration in mammals.
Habitat characteristics
Mosquitoes live and reproduce near shallow, standing water. They breed in
"containers"—including artificial ones like tires, bottles, and leaf-clogged gutters,
or natural ones such as holes in rocks or trees. Mosquitoes need only ¼inch of water
to complete their life cycle.
Life Cycle
Male and female mosquitoes sip flower nectar for their own sustenance, but the mated
female must obtain a blood meal for protein to nourish egg development. The female
extracts blood from a mammal or bird using its elongated proboscis. She then deposits
40 to 150 eggs along the sides of a container, just above the surface of the water.
The cycle of blood meals and egg-laying continues weekly throughout the adult's
lifespan, which ranges from a few days to a few weeks. Eggs can overwinter in water
or near water, hatching when the temperature warms. Larvae feed on debris in the
water for five to 10 days, transforming into aquatic, non-feeding pupa for about two
days. Winged adults emerge from the pupa and mate.
Asian tiger mosquitoes do not fly far from their breeding sites, but their range is
appreciably expanded when humans inadvertently transport their eggs or larvae in
water. The international trade in used tires fueled the mosquito's spread over wideranging areas, but eggs or larvae can travel in any container. The species moved
across Florida from graveyard to graveyard in flower vases as well as tires and other
containers. Seehttp://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/current.html#Mosquito.
Look-alikes and how to distinguish
Aedes albopictus resembles other species of mosquitoes, but its white stripes make it
virtually unmistakable.
Why is this animal a problem?

Mosquitoes acquire diseases from a host animal when the
female sucks the host’s blood. The mosquito transfers
the disease to another animal during a later feeding.
In the United States, the Asian tiger mosquito may
spread diseases such as West Nile
virus and encephalitis. The Centers for Disease Control
keeps a close watch on this species because of its
great potential as a diseasevector in the United
States. For information on all of the diseases
potentially carried by the mosquito, seewww.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/arbor/albopic_new.htm.

Besides spreading disease, this mosquito inflicts pain on humans. Its bite is no worse than
other mosquitoes, but the numbers of adults can be so high that it is difficult to work or
play in infested areas.
Kudzu
Pueraria lobata
How did it get here?
Native to Japan, kudzu was brought to the United
States in 1876 for the Philadelphia Centennial
Exposition, where it was promoted as an
ornamental plant for gardens and food for goats,
cows, and pigs. To control erosion, it was
planted in the South from 1935 through the mid1950s. The United States Department of
Agriculture removed kudzu from its list of
recommended ground cover plants in 1953, when it
became recognized as an aggressive nuisance. The
agency listed kudzu as a noxious weed in 1972.
Infestations are particularly heavy in the Deep
South, and in Florida it is invading the Everglades.
How to spot
Kudzu is a vine that can grow very long—from 32 to 100 feet. A
kudzu patch looks like a uniformly colored blanket of dark-green
leaves, swallowing everything in its path both horizontally and
vertically. The leaves, grouped in threes, are 3 to 10 inches
long and can have as many as threelobes. They have hairy
undersides. Depending on the climate and sun exposure, kudzu may
flower from late July to September. It bears hanging clusters of
purple blossoms that smell like grapes. Seedpods, which appear
later, are hairy and bean-like. In winter or after a hard frost,
kudzu is a mass of brown vines with leaves withered or absent.
In very warm areas, leaves may be evergreen.
Habitat characteristics

Disturbed areas, including roadsides, abandoned yards, fields, forest edges, and vacant lots.

Deep, well-drained, loamy soil.

Grows best in climates with mild winters, hot summers above 80 degrees F, and abundant
rainfall, but can withstand harsher weather.
Life cycle
Kudzu is in the legume family. It spreads
vegetatively and, to a much lesser extent, from seed
borne in pods. In summer, kudzu can grow as much as 1
foot per day. As many as 30 vines may grow from
the root crown, andrunners sprout from nodes every 1
to 2 feet along the vines. With enough sun, kudzu may
flower from late July to September, after which seedpods form. It may die back to its
roots during cold winters.
Look-alikes and how to distinguish

Large specimens of poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans)—lack obviously hairy leaves and stems.

Crown vetch (Securigera varia)—leaves are finer with 15 to 20 leaflets per leaf; profuse pink
flowers.

Round-leafed beggar’s tick (Desmodium rotundifolium)—rarely exceeds 5 feet in length;
leaflets not usually longer than 2¾ inches.
Why is this plant a problem?
Kudzu kills native plants by smothering them and
blocking their sunlight. Climbing vines
can girdle trees, and their weight can uproot trees.
Loss of trees and plants to kudzu threatens
agricultural and timber production.
German Cockroach
Blatella germanica
How did it get here?
The German cockroach is actually a tropical
species whose point of origin may be Southeast
Asia. It spread to America aboard the ships of
European immigrants sailing to the Colonies.
Highly mobile and adaptable to new environments,
the species became a household pest worldwide
during the 19th century.
How to spot
German cockroaches are nocturnal and secretive.
They spend most of their time in cracks or
crevices in walls, between cabinets, and under
furniture. Signs of cockroaches include carcasses, body parts, shed skins, empty egg
cases (amber-colored, ribbed cylinders) and fecal smears (dark smudges).
Habitat characteristics
Cockroaches live where humans dwell. They prefer warm, undisturbed areas with high
humidity near a source of water—under sinks, around toilets, and in showers. They eat
human food and also non-food items like soap, toothpaste, and glue. Small nymphs can
live in a crack as small as 1/32 inch, while adults require one at least 3/16 inch
wide.
Life Cycle
Females produce four to eight egg cases, each
containing 30 to 40 eggs. They carry the cases until
the eggs are within a day or two of hatching, then
deposit the cases in a protected site. The development
from egg to adult varies with temperature and humidity,
but on average it takes 103 days. Three to six
generations may be produced per year. Adults can live
100 to 200 days.
Look-alikes and how to distinguish
• American cockroach
(seehttp://pested.unl.edu/chapter3.htm#cock3e)
• Brown-banded cockroach
(seehttp://pested.unl.edu/chapter3.htm#cock3c)
• Oriental cockroach (seehttp://pested.unl.edu/chapter3.htm#cock3d)
• Wood cockroach (seehttp://pested.unl.edu/chapter3.htm#cock3f)
Why is this animal a problem?
German cockroaches contaminate food with their droppings. They can transmit bacterial
diseases to humans that can cause food poisoning, dysentery, or diarrhea. Many people
are allergic to cockroaches, their waste, or their body fragments, and such allergies
cause asthma in some children.
Cockroaches can damage household items, eating glue in wallpaper, books, and
furniture.
Japanese Honeysuckle
(Lonicera japonica Thunberg)
How did it get here?
Native to eastern Asia, Japanese honeysuckle was
brought to Long Island, N.Y., as an ornamental in
1806. A more aggressive variety was imported to
Flushing, N.Y., in 1862. Initially slow to escape
cultivation, this vine was established from
Connecticut to Florida by 1918.
It is now considered naturalized throughout the
eastern and central United States. It has also
invaded Hong Kong, England, Wales, Portugal,
Corsica, Hawaii, Brazil, and Argentina.
How to spot
Lonicera japonica is a trailing or twining woody
vine that is evergreen in most of North Carolina.
Vines can reach 30 feet in length. Leaves alternate
along the stem and are ovate (young ones may be
lobed) and about 1
1/2 to 3 inches
long.
Young plants have
hairy stems while older ones have smooth, peeling
bark. Very fragrant white flowers that fade to
yellow are borne in pairs from April through June.
Seeds are black berries, produced August through
October.
Habitat characteristics
• Sun to partial shade.
• Grows most vigorously on rich, moist soil, but is drought-tolerant.
• Common in disturbed areas such as roadsides, trails, fencerows, and abandoned
fields.
Life Cycle
Honeysuckle reproduces by seeds, underground rhizomes, and aboveground runners.
Look-alikes and how to distinguish
• Coral or trumpet honeysuckle (L. sempervirens L.)—leaves joined together around
stem (connate); red/orange berries; scarlet red flowers.
• Wild or limber honeysuckle* (L. dioica L.)—leaves joined together around the stem
(connate); red/orange berries; pale yellow, orange, or purplish flowers.
• Yellow honeysuckle** (L. flava)–red/orange berries; yellowish to pale-orange
flowers.
* rare in North Carolina mountains, endangered in Illinois, Kentucky and Maine, and of special concern in
Tennessee.
** rare and local in North Carolina Mountains, endangered in Illinois, of special concern in Tennessee,
and extirpated in Ohio.
Why is this plant a problem?
Japanese honeysuckle invades native plant communities
following natural or human-induced disturbances such as
floods, ice and windstorms; the building of logging roads;
or outbreaks of disease.
It grows densely both vertically and horizontally,
smothering and shading out native plants and depleting the
soil of moisture and nutrients. It disfigures the trunks of
trees and topples upright vegetation under the weight of its
vines. It can bring down a 13-foot tree in the span of a
summer.
English Ivy
Hedera helix
How did it get here?
English Ivy’s native range is Europe, western
Asia, and northern Africa. It was probably
introduced to North America from Europe in
Colonial times. It is sold widely throughout
the United States as a landscaping plant.
How to spot
English ivy is a
climbing, evergreen
vine. The vines attach
to the bark of trees
or other surfaces with
small rootlets that
older plants, vines
Because of its
horticulturists have
ivy.
The most common form
leaves that grow
typically have three
exude a glue-like substance. In
may grow to 1 foot in diameter.
popularity as a ground cover,
developed many varieties of English
has dark-green, waxy, leathery
alternately along the stem. Leaves
lobes and a heart-shaped base.
Habitat characteristics

Prefers shade but can grow in part sun.

Moist, but not extremely wet, soil.

Woodlands, forest edges, fields, hedgerows, coastal areas, and edges of salt marshes.

Invades areas after natural or human-induced disturbances and frequently escapes its
boundaries in landscaping.
Life Cycle
English ivy reproduces by seed and vegetatively. New plants
grow when stems make contact with the soil. With enough
sunlight, the plant produces clusters of small, greenishwhite, five-part flowers in the fall. The ¼-inch black
berries that form afterward contain hard, stone-like seeds.
The fruits ripen during winter, and seeds mature by spring.
The fruits contain toxic glycosides that make some birds
vomit, disseminating the seeds.
Look-alikes and how to distinguish

Boston ivy or Japanese ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata)—deciduous; serrated, three-lobed
leaves.
Why is this plant a problem?
English ivy aggressively spreads across the ground,
forming a dense blanket that shades and kills native
plants. It also climbs up trunks and intotrees,
preventing sunlight from reaching the trees’ leaves.
The weight of the vines makes a tree more likely to
be toppled by storms. English ivy also hosts
bacterial leaf scorch (Xyella fastidiosa), a plant
pathogen that spreads to native elms, oaks, and
maples.
Japanese Stilt Grass
Microstegium vimineum
How did it get here?
First identified in Knoxville, Tennessee in
1919, this grass may have been introduced
accidentally through its use as a packing
material for Chinese porcelain. Its native range
is Japan, Korea, China, Malaysia, and India.
Japanese stilt grass was found in western North
Carolina in 1933.
How to spot
Microstegium
vimineum grows
in a sprawling
pattern and may form colonies to 3 feet in height. It
has a branched stalk withalternate leaves that are
thin, pale green, lance-shaped, and about 3 inches
long. The leaves have a silvery strip of reflective
hairs in the center of the upper surface. Delicate
spikes of flowers appear near the tips of the stalks
in late summer and early fall.
Habitat characteristics

Moderate to dense shade.

Moist, nitrogen-rich soils with acidic to neutral pH.

Naturally or artificially disturbed sites such as roadsides, ditches, woodland borders,
floodplains, and streamsides.

Selectively colonizes bare ground not occupied by other plants.
Life cycle
Japanese stilt grass is an annualthat reproduces from seed.
The grass grows in colonies, rooting from the nodes and
sometimes forming dense stands of the same plant. Each plant
produces as many as 1,000 seeds that remain viable in the
soil for at least five years. Seeds are dispersed naturally
by wind and water (streams and ditches) and are transported
by humans in hay and soil.
Look-alikes and how to distinguish

Cutgrass (Leersia virginica)—longer leaves.

Knotweed (Polygonum persicaria)—pale to dark-pinkcalyx and glossy, brown nutlets.
Why is this plant a problem?
Although it is generally slow to colonize undisturbed
areas, Japanese stilt grass can rapidly fill
disturbed areas such as streamsides scoured by
flooding and sewer line rights-of-way that are mown
annually. The dense stands that it forms can crowd
out native vegetation in just a few years. Once these
stands are established, the natural soil conditions
such as pH and organic composition begin to change,
potentially preventing the re-establishment of the
original native species. Deer do not eat Japanese
stilt grass, giving the plant an advantage in heavily grazed locations.