Insect Damage to Spotted Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium Maculatum) in Cattaraugus County, NY
Photo of Spotted Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium maculatum)
This spotted Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium maculatum) plant in Cattaraugus County, NY, where it is native, shows extensive insect damage. Part of the reason native plants are beneficial to ecosystems is that they support more insect herbivores. The process of breeding plants to select for insect resistance makes it more likely that the plants will become invasive, both by giving them a competitive advantage, and leading to collapse of the food web when they become dominant.
