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Lantana is a genus of about 150 species of perennial flowering plants, native to tropical regions of the Americas and Africa. The species include both herbaceous plants and shrubs growing to 0.5-2 m tall.

They are widely cultivated for their flowers in tropical and subtropical environments and (as an annual plant) in temperate climates. Some species are invasive, and are considered to be noxious weeds in southern Asia, southern Africa, and Australia, with there being specialised services that you can call in to remove the plants. In the United States, some Lantana species are now naturalized in the southeast, especially coastal regions of the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, and the Gulf Coast where it is often known as “ham and eggs”. Lantana species are used as food plants by the larvae of hepialid moths of the genera Aenetus, including A. ligniveren and A. scotti, and Endoclita, including E. malabaricus. Other Lepidoptera whose larvae feed on Lantana include Hypercompe orsa and Setaceous Hebrew Character.

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