In 1935, native beetles were wreaking havoc on Australia’s sugar cane crops in Queensland. The beetle larvae lived in the soil and chewed on sugarcane roots, stunting growth or killing the plants.

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. Brought in to address a problem, cane toads now represent ...

Cane toads were introduced to Australia in 1935 to control sugarcane beetles, but the toads ignore the beetles while decimating the ecosystem they were meant to protect. Instead, they became a highly ...