Be careful! If you see them, show zero tolerance!

Recently, the alligator gar in Ruzhou, Henan Province, has attracted widespread attention. While everyone is fishing, the issue of invasive alien species has also aroused people's concern.

More than 660 alien invasive species have been discovered in my country, making it one of the countries most seriously affected by alien species invasions in the world.

These common creatures

They are all invasive alien species

See how many you know

↓↓↓

1

Water hyacinth

Copyright image, no permission to reprint

Water hyacinth is native to South America and was introduced to China as an ornamental plant in the early 20th century. It was later promoted for cultivation as pig feed. Due to its large-scale reproduction, it often covers the entire surface of rivers and lakes, causing a large number of aquatic organisms to die due to lack of oxygen and sunlight, destroying the ecological balance in the water.

2

"Canada Goldenrod"

Copyright image, no permission to reprint

"Canada goldenrod" is an ornamental plant introduced from North America to Shanghai and other places in China in the 1930s. It later escaped into the wild and has a strong ability to reproduce and quickly occupy space, suppressing the growth of local plants and destroying the ecological balance of vegetation in the invaded areas.

3

Red-eared slider

Copyright image, no permission to reprint

Yes, it is the red-eared slider turtle that is commonly seen in the pet market. Most species of red-eared slider turtles are native to Brazil, and some species are native to the United States. The red- eared slider turtle is recognized as an ecological killer in the world, and many countries have listed it as a dangerous invasive alien species.

4

Fire ant

Image source: Photographed by Ye Zhengrong

Red fire ants are quarantine pests for China's agriculture, forestry, and imported plants, and are globally recognized as one of the 100 most dangerous invasive species. They can directly eat the seeds, fruits, and young shoots of crops, resulting in reduced crop yields, and can also affect the growth and reproduction of some animals. At the same time, incidents of red fire ants injuring people also occur from time to time.

In April this year, a boy in Sichuan was bitten by red fire ants, which caused anaphylactic shock. He was rushed to the hospital and was out of danger.

5

Apple Snail

The golden apple snail, also known as the big bottle snail and apple snail, is native to the Amazon River Basin in South America. It was introduced to China in the early 1980s as an edible snail. Due to its strong adaptability and rapid reproduction, it has become a huge invasive alien species.

Not only does it harm the environment, the golden apple snail is also the intermediate host of the Guangzhou roundworm. If you accidentally get infected after eating raw snail meat, it will cause severe headaches, nausea, vomiting, fever, coma, mental abnormalities and other symptoms, and in severe cases, death.

6

Fall Armyworm

Fall armyworm larvae (above) and adults.

The fall armyworm is a migratory pest on the global alert of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. It has the characteristics of "special eating", "special reproduction" and "special flying", strong reproductive ability, fast migration and spread, and seriously harms the growth of crops such as corn. In 2019, the fall armyworm invaded my country for the first time.

7

Pine wood nematode

Pine wood nematodes are native to North America and parasitize pine trees, causing pine wood nematode disease, which is mainly transmitted by Monochamus alternatus. It is a devastating disease of pine trees, and pine trees die 40 days after infection. The disease has a wide range of transmission routes, spreads quickly, and is difficult to prevent and control, so it is called the "AIDS" of pine trees.

Ancient pine trees receiving immunization against pine wilt disease

8

Alternanthera philoxeroides

Alternanthera philoxeroides is native to Brazil, also known as water peanut and drought-loving alternator. It was introduced to China in the 1930s. It is an extremely harmful species and was listed as one of China's first batch of invasive alien species.

9

Coconut leaf beetle

The coconut leaf beetle is a dangerous alien pest native to Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, and is now widely distributed in the Pacific Islands and Southeast Asia. The coconut leaf beetle has the characteristics of rapid reproduction, strong destructiveness, and difficulty in prevention and control.

10

Piranha

In July 2012, Zhang Kaibo, a resident of Liuzhou, was attacked by three ferocious fish while bathing his dog in the Liujiang River. His palm was bitten and bleeding. After the fish were caught, they were identified by an expert group and officially confirmed to be Serrata serrata, a type of piranha native to South America and a ferocious carnivorous animal.

Regarding the problem of invasive alien species, Li Zhaohua, Dean of the Graduate School of Hubei University and Professor of the School of Resources and Environment, stressed that it is very important not to release them at will. If you accidentally buy one, do not throw it away.

Experts suggest that universities, research institutes or relevant departments can be entrusted to handle the matter. If suspected alien invasive species are found in life, they can be reported as soon as possible and the local management department will dispose of them harmlessly.

The "Management Measures for Alien Invasive Species" will come into effect on August 1, 2022. Don't buy or release them blindly. It is everyone's responsibility to guard the "biosafety line"!

Source: CCTV.com, People's Daily, Red Star News, Xiaoxiang Morning News, Qilu Evening News, Yangtze River Daily

Some of the pictures in this article are from the copyright gallery. Reprinting is not authorized. For reprinting original pictures and texts, please reply "reprint" in the background