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First island-wide survey of the Pope's head cactus finds invasive moth at every site
A joint Nature Foundation and Réserve Naturelle survey assessed nearly 4,000 Pope's head cacti across Saint Martin and found the invasive cactus moth at every site checked.
By SXM Daily ·
Reported 31 July 2026.
The first island-wide assessment of the Pope's head cactus (Melocactus intortus) has found the invasive cactus moth at every site surveyed, the Nature Foundation Sint Maarten said. The study, called Cactus MAP, was a joint project with the Réserve Naturelle de Saint-Martin (AGRNSM), funded by SPAW-RAC.
Illustrative: a Melocactus intortus, known locally as the Pope's head cactus, photographed in the Dutch Caribbean. Photo: Dan Schofield / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Between January and June 2026, teams surveyed six sites on both sides of the island and assessed nearly 4,000 cacti. The moth was present everywhere, with mortality estimated at between about 1 and 10 percent. At Fort Amsterdam, about 8 percent of the cacti showed signs of attack.
The two sides of the island protect the plant differently. Uprooting the cactus is banned on the French side, while there is no species protection on the Dutch side, the foundation said.
The project also produced bilingual lesson plans for schools and an online story map, available at https://arcg.is/jWv1r1.
For residents: the story map shows the survey sites and results online.
Sources
- https://naturefoundationsxm.org/first-island-wide-assessment-of-saint-martins-iconic-popes-head-cactus-completed/