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Macfadyena unguis-cati (vine, climber)    |
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Management Information
There are multiple methods of managing/eradicating Macfadyena unguis-cati including manual, chemical, and biological.
Manual: Manual control of M. unguis-cati is conducted by cutting the stems and digging out the roots of the invaders. This method is not practical except on very small populations because of the growth pattern of the species (McClymont, 1999).Chemical: Chemical control has been shown to be successful in areas in which the herbicide Glyphosate (N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine) has been approved. In these areas, vines are cut from trees at 1.5 metres and cut again at the surface. The cut stump is treated with a 1:1.5 Glyphosate:water treatement (Achilles, 2003), or with straight Glyphosate (McClymont, 1999). Once the area begins to actively grow following this treatment (usually three to six weeks later), the area is foliar sprayed with a Glyphosate and surfactant mix, with care being taken to avoid non-target species. Additional foliar spraying may be needed for five years or more after the initial treatment (Achilles, 2003). This method should not be used in ecologically sensitive areas due to the potential herbicide drift (McClymont, 1999). Biological: The leaf-feeding beetle Charidotis auroguttata (Boheman), the leaf-sucking tingid Carvalhotingis visenda (Boheman), and the leaf-tying moth Hypocosmia pyrochroma (Jones) were all shown to be specific to M. unguis-cati. C. auroguttata was released in South Africa in 1999 to control its M. unguis-cati population, and C. visenda was approved in 2007 for release into Australia. Each biological agent works against M. unguis-cati by feeding on it preferentially to other tested species (Dhileepan, 2006; Dhileepan, Trevino, and Snow, 2007; Willimas, 2002). The suitability of these biological agents to other environments must be carefully considered, and is dependant on the plant species present in each location, among other factors.
Cultural: Other tips for controlling the spread of M. unguis-cati include planting the species only in approved regions and pruning the planted species each year after flowering to prevent its spread (Francis, undated).   
Location Specific Management InformationFlorida (USA)
FLEPPC (which compiles (revised) invasive species lists every two years) classifies Macfadyena unguis-cati as a Category I invasive. Invasive exotic plants are termed Category I invasives when they are altering native plant communities by displacing native species, changing community structures or ecological functions, or hybridizing with natives. This definition does not rely on the economic severity or geographic range of the problem, but on the documented ecological damage caused. (FLEPPC undated) New South Wales
Macfadyena unguis-cati is considered a "serious environmental weed" and is a declared category W4C weedunder the Noxious Weeds Act 1993 (Dhileepan, 2006). Queensland
Macfadyena unguis-cati is considered a "serious environmental weed" and is a declared class 3 weed under the Land Protection (Pest and Stock Route Management Act 2002 (Dhileepan, 2006). South Africa
Charidotis auroguttata (Coleoptera) was introduced as a biological control agent in 1996 after mechanical and chemical control methods were proven to be unsuccessful. No herbicides are registered for use on the species in this country (Williams, 2002).
Management Resources/Links
2. Dhileepan, K., M. Trevino, and E.L. Snow. 2007. Specificity of Carvalhotingis visenda (Hemiptera: Tingidae) as a biological control agent for cat’s claw creeper Macfadyena unguis-cati (Bignoniaceae) in Australia
Summary: This article provides information on the biological control agent Carvalhotingis visenda which was approved for release in Australia. 3. Dhileepan, K., M. Trevino, G.P. Donnelly, and S. Raghu. 2005. Risk to non-target plants from Charidotis auroguttata (Chrysomelidae: Coleoptera), a potential biocontrol agent for cat’s claw creeper Macfadyena unguis-cati (Bignoniaceae) in Australia. Biological Control, 32: 450–460.
Summary: This article provides biological management information for Macfadyena unguis-cati. 7. Williams, H.E. 2002. Life History and Laboratory Host Range of Charidotis auroguttata (Boheman) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), the First Natural Enemy Released Against Macfadyena unguis-cati (L.) Gentry (Bignoniaceae) in South Africa. The Coleopterists Bulletin, 56(2): 299-307.
Summary: This article examined potential biological control agents for Macfadyena unguis-cati and tested the host specificity of each. Results Page: 1
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