Poison hemlock moth

A. alstroemeriana is a wide-ranging species native to Europe, that has more recently spread to North America, Australian and New Zealand. In North America, it is most common to the northeastern and northwestern United States, as well as the southern regions of Canada. It has spread inland in both nations, and can now commonly be found in the Midwestern states of the U.S. as well. The first North American sighting of the hemlock moth was of a caterpillar seen in Tompkins County, New York in 1973. After that, Agonopterix alstroemeriana spread quickly throughout the United States. It was found in the Pacific Northwest in 1983–1985, possibly spread by the accidental shipping of dormant moths. The moth was seen in the Midwest starting in 1990, when it was discovered near Columbus, Ohio. It was established in Illinois in 1993, after being identified by the rolled leaves of Conium maculatum, a characteristic indication of the presence of A. alstroemeriana. The species has been breeding in New Zealand since 1986 and it is likely that the moth then spread from New Zealand to southern Tasmania, where its presence was discovered in 2019.

The effects that the alkaloids in Conium maculatum cause on the moth, both physiologically and behaviorally, are relatively unknown. Persons interested in the biological control capabilities of A. alstroemeriana see behavioral dependency on the host plant as an asset when using this moth as a biological control agent, because this reduces the possibility of the moth affecting other species besides the host plant.

Preliminary research has not found any negative physiological effects caused by the high alkaloid toxicity of poison hemlock. The moth may actually benefit from the alkaloids present in its feeding behavior.