Experts issue warning after spotting toxic insect in new territory — here's what you need to know

Estonia is seeing the rise of a worrying new pest: The birch sawfly.

While this invasive species has been spotted in the country before, it seems to be gaining a firmer foothold now and having a much broader impact.

This does not bode well for the country's population of birch trees, or for agriculture more broadly.

What's happening?

According to ERR News, the birch sawfly is a small insect about a centimeter in length in its adult form. It lays eggs on birch leaves, which darken and swell in response.

When the larvae, similar to caterpillars, hatch, they eat the leaves on which their eggs have been laid, and because many larvae are laid on a single leaf, they can completely strip that leaf.

Because the birch sawfly lays eggs continuously, one at a time, there are larvae at many different developmental stages in the same tree, all eating leaves. They can completely remove a tree's foliage, damaging its ability to get energy from the sun.

What's worse is that this outbreak seems to be more extensive than past outbreaks, suggesting that the world's increasing temperature is creating a more hospitable environment for the birch sawfly in Estonia.

Why is the birch sawfly important?

Losing leaves is hard on a tree, but it is recoverable if it happens just once. However, birch trees in Estonia have to contend with more than just this one challenge. They also have to face defoliation from the northern winter moth in the springtime.

Losing their leaves twice in a matter of months weakens them significantly, leaving them vulnerable to other maladies, such as fungal infections. Plus, this cycle now threatens to repeat multiple years in a row, leaving the tree no chance to recover over time.

The result could be the loss of many birch trees, leading to potentially severe deforestation in Estonia.

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Meanwhile, the birch sawfly isn't just dangerous to trees. It also produces a toxin meant to keep it safe from predators.

Livestock that eat the larvae by accident when they fall from trees can also be caught in this toxic trap, resulting in dead sheep and other animals. This has a direct impact on human livelihoods.

What's being done about the birch sawfly?

For now, researchers are monitoring the birch sawfly situation, gathering data about the numbers and distribution of the species in the country, as well as how it interacts with other organisms in the environment.

This data will be valuable for determining the extent of the problem and how it can be countered.

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