2022年10月24日 VOA慢速英語：蠕蟲是下一個(gè)入侵威脅嗎？

 

ust as North Americans became used seeing the lanternfly insect, there is another invasive animal population on the rise: the Asian jumping worm.
正如北美人習(xí)慣于看到燈籠蠅一樣，另一種入侵性動(dòng)物種群也在增加：亞洲跳蟲。
 
Its scientific name is Amynthas agrestis. But it is also known as "Alabama jumper," "Jersey wriggler," and "crazy worm." Unlike other usual North American earthworms, these highly active worms eat large amounts of humus.
腐殖質(zhì)是土壤的豐富、有機(jī)和重要的頂部部分。它對(duì)許多生態(tài)系統(tǒng)至關(guān)重要。各種土壤生命都需要腐殖質(zhì)。
 
Humus is the rich, organic, and important top part of soil. It is critical to many ecosystems. All kinds of soil life need humus.
腐殖質(zhì)是土壤的豐富、有機(jī)和重要的頂部部分。它對(duì)許多生態(tài)系統(tǒng)至關(guān)重要。各種土壤生命都需要腐殖質(zhì)。
 
Plants and other soil life cannot survive without humus. It is also, however, a favorite food of the Asian jumping worm. And the insects "can eat all of it," wrote Susan Farmer of the United States Forest Service in a report published in May.
沒有腐殖質(zhì)，植物和其他土壤生命就無法生存。然而，它也是亞洲跳蟲最喜歡的食物。美國(guó)林務(wù)局的蘇珊·法默 (Susan Farmer) 在 5 月發(fā)表的一份報(bào)告中寫道，這些昆蟲“可以吃掉所有的食物”。
 
A decrease in humus would also threaten birds and other animals that depend on insects that live in soil for food.
腐殖質(zhì)的減少也會(huì)威脅到鳥類和其他依賴生活在土壤中的昆蟲為食的動(dòng)物。
 
The worms are native to east-central Asia. They are believed to have been introduced to the United States in the late 1800s, likely arriving in transported plants. Their existence went largely unnoticed – or possibly underreported. But in the past ten years, scientists started to describe the Asian jumping worm as a problem, says Dr. Timothy McCay. He is a biology and environment professor at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York.
這些蠕蟲原產(chǎn)于中亞東部。據(jù)信它們是在 1800 年代后期引入美國(guó)的，很可能是通過運(yùn)輸植物到達(dá)的。他們的存在在很大程度上被忽視了——或者可能被低估了。但蒂莫西·麥凱博士說，在過去的十年里，科學(xué)家們開始將亞洲跳蟲描述為一個(gè)問題。他是紐約漢密爾頓科爾蓋特大學(xué)的生物學(xué)和環(huán)境教授。
 
 
Asian jumping worm populations are confirmed to be in 35 states across the U.S.
亞洲跳線蟲種群被證實(shí)分布在美國(guó)的 35 個(gè)州
 
Although its yearly life cycle ends in winter, the animal cocoons survive to produce a new generation in spring. McCay said their tiny eggs are nearly impossible to see in soil. But adult worms, which are about 8 to 20 centimeters long, are easy to see close to the surface.
雖然它每年的生命周期在冬天結(jié)束，但動(dòng)物繭在春天存活下來并產(chǎn)生新一代。麥凱說，在土壤中幾乎不可能看到它們的小卵。但長(zhǎng)約 8 至 20 厘米的成蟲在靠近地表時(shí)很容易看到。
 
As they eat their way through the soil, the worms leave behind two things: cocoons and castings, or waste. The cocoons are very small and soil-colored, so they are easy to miss. However, the castings have a coffee-ground look that will let you know they are present.
當(dāng)它們?cè)谕寥乐幸捠硶r(shí)，蠕蟲會(huì)留下兩件事：繭和鑄件，或廢物。繭很小，而且是土色的，所以很容易錯(cuò)過。然而，鑄件具有咖啡渣外觀，讓您知道它們的存在。
 
The shiny worm can be either gray or brown. A thick line of white or light gray circles part of its long body. When touched, the worms quickly move from side to side, jump, and they may even move back and forth like the reptile the snake. McCay said that behavior, along with their ability to reproduce without mating, helps the species out populate its predators.
閃亮的蠕蟲可以是灰色或棕色。一條白色或淺灰色的粗線環(huán)繞著它長(zhǎng)長(zhǎng)的身體的一部分。當(dāng)被觸摸時(shí)，蠕蟲會(huì)迅速左右移動(dòng)，跳躍，甚至可能像爬行動(dòng)物蛇一樣來回移動(dòng)。麥凱說，這種行為，以及它們無需交配即可繁殖的能力，有助于該物種在其捕食者中繁殖。
 
McCay said predators like "Robins and other birds, shrews, garter snakes, and amphibians like toads may not be able to effectively suppress their populations."
麥凱說，像“知更鳥和其他鳥類、鼩鼱、吊襪帶蛇和蟾蜍等兩棲動(dòng)物可能無法有效抑制其種群的捕食者。”
 
McCay said "gardeners should do what they can to avoid spreading jumping worms to new areas." Because the worms usually move into forests from nearby gardens, he said, control in home and community gardens is necessary to slow their invasion into natural areas.
麥凱說：“園丁應(yīng)該盡其所能避免將跳蟲傳播到新的區(qū)域。” 他說，由于蠕蟲通常從附近的花園進(jìn)入森林，因此有必要對(duì)家庭和社區(qū)花園進(jìn)行控制，以減緩它們對(duì)自然區(qū)域的入侵。
 
So during this season of plant dividing and changing plants, gardeners must pay attention. Look often for the worms' waste droppings. Look in the soil that stays on plant roots and in the ground surrounding them. In addition, McCay advises, do not place waste from infected gardens into nearby forests. Share only plants cleaned of soil only.
所以在這個(gè)分株換草的季節(jié)，園丁們一定要注意了。經(jīng)常尋找蠕蟲的糞便。查看留在植物根部和它們周圍的土壤中的土壤。此外，麥凱建議，不要將受感染花園的廢物放入附近的森林中。只分享清潔過土壤的植物。
 
There are no good control measures available for established populations of jumping worms. But McCay said removing them by hand and dropping them into containers of vinegar will reduce their numbers. He knows of one gardener in Pennsylvania who removed 51,000 worms that way in 2021.
對(duì)于已建立的跳蟲種群，沒有良好的控制措施。但麥凱說，用手將它們?nèi)〕霾⑺鼈兎湃氪兹萜髦袝?huì)減少它們的數(shù)量。他知道賓夕法尼亞州的一位園丁在 2021 年以這種方式清除了 51,000 條蠕蟲。