 The damage done provides a point of entry for fungal rots and canker.The fly is attracted by the smell of bruised tissue.Parsnip is used as a food plant by the larvae of some lepidopteran species, including the parsnip swallowtail ("Papilio polyxenes"), the common swift moth ("Korscheltellus lupulina"), the garden dart moth ("Euxoa nigricans"), and the ghost moth ("Hepialus humuli").