forest health
news
No. 158, January 2006
HIGH RISK SITE SURVEILLANCE
What is now called High Risk Site Surveillance (HRSS) started
in the early 1970s when the then Forest Biology Survey initiated
Port Environ Surveys around ports (both sea and air) and other
sites considered to be at high risk, e.g., large construction sites
and military bases. The primary aim of this surveillance is the
early detection of new incursions but it also helps monitor the
host range and distribution of existing pest species.
Since that time the way imported goods move around the country
has changed considerably and over the years HRSS was
incrementally modified in an attempt to maintain costeffectiveness and efficiency. However, methods of cargo
distribution in the last few years have changed dramatically. The
most significant of these changes has been the trend towards
unpacking containers away from the ports at what are termed
transitional facilities. There are now about 7500 transitional
facilities around the country, and so the risk has spread from a
relatively small number of ports to a very large number of sites.
Traditional risk sites such as military bases and ports are still
targeted, as are parks and reserves associated with risk sites or
pathways.
In November 2005, Biosecurity New Zealand introduced a new
system of HRSS to address these issues and at the same time
overhaul the methodologies used in the surveys. In the past, risk
site surveys were described as “walkthrough”, i.e., the inspectors
walked through the survey area looking for signs of damage and/
or ill-health. Large areas can be covered this way but such surveys
are far less likely to detect cryptic or newly established pests whose
populations have not yet reached high enough levels to produce
visible symptoms.
ISSN 1175-9755
For further information on the HRSS programme see Biosecurity
New Zealand Issue 64, December 2005. Thanks to Brendan
Murphy (Senior Advisor, BNZ) for allowing me to quote and
paraphrase from this article in Biosecurity NZ.
(Editor)
SCHOLARSHIP AWARDED
In the last issue of Forest Health News we reported on the work
that Tara Murray, one of our PhD students, is doing. She is working
on the parasitoids and hyperparasitoids associated with the
eucalyptus tortoise beetle, Paropsis charybdis. Since that time
we have learnt that Tara has been awarded a New Zealand Plant
Protection Society Research Award. Congratulations, Tara. For
more information on this scholarship see:
http://www.hortnet.co.nz/publications/nzpps/scholarships.htm
(Editor)
FOREST BIOSECURITY & PROTECTION WINS GOLD
Rose O’Brien, our multi-talented Management Assistant, was a
member of the team that won the national veteran’s netball
tournament in Dunedin recently. She is still celebrating but there
is no truth in the rumour that she is waiting for a late call-up to the
New Zealand team for the Commonwealth Games in March. Well
done, Rose.
(Editor)
The new HRSS programme involves using transects in the
designated risk sites. Vegetation in the transects is thoroughly
examined, even if there are no obvious signs of damage. The
“walkthrough” method is used as the inspectors move between
transects within the risk site, and vegetation exhibiting symptoms
or damage is inspected. A proportion of the time allocated to each
risk is at the inspectors’ discretion, allowing them to use their
instincts and training to examine suspect vegetation in areas not
specifically covered by the HRSS specifications. It would be
patently silly for inspectors to ignore suspicious symptoms just
because they were noted outside the defined area. The Government
has had to significantly increase funding to run this new and
expanded programme.
The HRSS programme is currently contracted jointly to
AgriQuality, Target Pest, and Forest Health Dynamics, and the
diagnosis of suspect samples from tree species to Ensis Biosecurity
and Protection.
An early indication that the new system is working well is apparent
in the New Records section below. This is the greatest number of
new records recorded in FH News since June 2003, and the most
new records ever in a month.
Olearia dieback associated with Puccinia sp. See “Possible new to New
Zealand record” on page2.
(Photo courtesy of Target Pest)
Newsletter of the Forest Biosecurity and Protection Unit, and the Forest Health Reference Laboratory (incorporating the Forest
Research Mycological Herbarium (NZFRI-M), the Forest Research Culture Collection (NZFS), and the National Forest Insect Collection
(FRNZ). Edited by John Bain, New Zealand Forest Research Institute Ltd, Private Bag 3020, Rotorua.
<[email protected]>
Web site < http://www.ensisjv.com>
Forest Health News 158, January 2006
NEW RECORDS
New to New Zealand record – Fungus: Coryneum umbonatum;
Region: Mid Canterbury; Host: Quercus robur; Coll: B Doherty,
14/12/2005; Ident: K Dobbie, 19/12/2005; Comments: Fruiting
bodies of this fungus were found on dead branches and twigs but
there was no evidence of active dieback. Coryneum umbonatum
is extremely common on Quercus spp. in the United Kingdom,
Europe, and the United States and has also been recorded from
Castanea spp. It is regarded as a saprophyte.
New distribution record for New Zealand – Insect: Creiis
liturata (Psyllidae); Region: Bay of Plenty; Host: Eucalyptus
botryoides; Coll: B Rogan, 15/12/2005; Ident: D Jones,
16/12/2005; Comments: This Australian psyllid was first found
in New Zealand in June 2002. Previously it has been known only
from Auckland. It is a serious pest of Eucalyptus dunnii in New
South Wales.
New distribution record for New Zealand – Insect: Nambouria
xanthops (Pteromalidae); Region: Bay of Plenty; Host:
Eucalyptus nicholii; Coll: B Rogan, 19/12/2005; Ident: D Jones,
20/12/2005; Comments: This Australian insect, which produces
very distinctive leaf galls, was first found in New Zealand in 1999.
It has previously been recorded from Auckland, Coromandel, and
Waikato and is common on Eucalyptus cinerea and E. nicholii.
New to New Zealand record – Fungus: Phomopsis abdita;
Region: Bay of Plenty; Host: Melia azedarach; Coll: B Rogan,
18/11/2005; Ident: K Dobbie, 20/12/2005; Comments: This
species has been recorded from Cuba, India, and France on this
host but there is apparently no information on how much damage
it causes. In this instance severe crown dieback was noted and the
fungus was associated with both cankers and dieback. Phompsis
spp. are recognised as pathogenic to varying degrees.
New host record for New Zealand – Insect: Neomycta rubida
(Curculionidae); Region: Bay of Plenty; Host: Metrosideros
collina; Coll: B Rogan, 02/12/2005; Ident: D Jones, 06/12/2005;
Comments: This is the first record of this native weevil on an
exotic species of Metrosideros. The most common host is
Metrosideros excelsa but is has been recorded from other New
Zealand species of Metrosideros. The larvae are leaf miners and
the adults also browse the foliage.
New to New Zealand record – Fungus: Stegonsporium
pyriforme; Region: Bay of Plenty; Host: Acer pseudoplatanus;
Coll: B Rogan, 18/12/2005; Ident: K Dobbie, 21/12/2005;
Comments: This fungus was found on a dead branch. It has been
recorded from eastern North America and Europe on species of
Acer, Betula, Fagus, and Tilia. It is found on bark and dead twigs
and branches and is considered to be saprophytic.
New host record for New Zealand – Insect: Hemiberlesia
lataniae (Diaspididae); Region: Bay of Plenty; Host: Hoheria
populnea; Coll: B Rogan, 01/12/2005; Ident: R Henderson,
19/12/2005; Comments: This cosmopolitan, polyphagous species
was first recorded in New Zealand in 1979 at Kerikeri. It is now
found throughout the North Island. It has been recorded from New
Zealand native plants before but this is the first record here from
the Malvaceae. It has been recorded from this plant family
overseas.
Possible new to New Zealand record – Fungus: Puccinia sp.;
Region: Mid Canterbury; Host: Olearia lineata; Coll: B Doherty,
29/11/2005; Ident: P Crane, 02/12/2005; Comments: There are
six species of Puccinia (a rust genus) recorded on indigenous
species of Olearia. All six of these Puccinia spp. are indigenous
and endemic. None of the six are, however, recorded on Olearia
lineata or on the several Olearia species closely related to
O. lineata. The morphological characters of the Puccinia on
O. lineata are not consistent with any of the six known species.
There are also many other species of Puccinia, both indigenous
and exotic, recorded in New Zealand. It is possible that this species
is already known here and that this is a new host record. Another
possibility is that it is an undescribed species. The rust is associated
with severe dieback of the host. Keep watching this space.
New host record for New Zealand – Insect: Ceroplastes sinensis
(Coccidae); Region: Bay of Plenty; Host: Metrosideros collina;
Coll: B Rogan, 02/12/2005; Ident: D Jones, 06/12/2005;
Comments: This introduced scale insect is found in most parts
of the northern half of the North Island. It has a wide host range
that includes both native and exotic plants.
New host record for New Zealand – Insect: Hemiberlesia rapax
(Diaspididae); Region: Bay of Plenty; Host: Metrosideros collina;
Coll: B Rogan, 02/12/2005; Ident: D Jones, 06/12/2005;
Comments: This cosmopolitan scale insect has a very wide host
range. It has been recorded from Metrosideros sp. in Hawaii.
New distribution record for New Zealand – Fungus: Phomopsis
abdita; Region: Auckland; Host: Melia azedarach; Coll: C Inglis,
21/11/2005; Ident: K Dobbie, 20/12/2005; Comments: This is
the second record of this fungus from New Zealand. See comments
above under “New to New Zealand record”.
New host record for New Zealand – Fungus: Coryneum
umbonatum; Region: Mid Canterbury; Host: Castanea sativa;
Coll: B Doherty, 14/12/2005; Ident: K Dobbie, 19/12/2005;
Comments: Fruiting bodies were found on dead branches and
twigs. This is the second record of this species from New Zealand
– see above under “New to New Zealand record”. It is regarded
as a saprophyte.
New host record for New Zealand – Insect: Acrocercops
laciniella (Gracillariidae); Region: Northland; Host: Eucalyptus
patens; Coll: T Withers, 14/12/2005; Ident: J Bain, 20/12/2005;
Comments: This is the first time we have dissected larvae out of
the leaf mines on this host although Dean Satchell has recorded
up to nearly 50% defoliation of E. patens attributable to this insect.
See: http://www.nzffa.org.nz/Eucalypt_pest_control/acrocercops/
results.html
New host record for New Zealand – Fungus: Puccinia sp.;
Region: Mid Canterbury; Host: Olearia solandri; Coll:
B Doherty, 29/11/2005; Ident: P Crane, 19/12/2005; Comments:
Fruiting bodies were found on dead branches and twigs. See
“Possible new to New Zealand record” above. This host is closely
related to Olearia lineata.
New host record for New Zealand – Insect: Ceroplastes sinensis
(Coccidae); Region: Hawke’s Bay; Host: Duranta erecta; Coll:
J Bartram, 14/12/2005; Ident: D Jones, 21/12/2005; Comments:
This introduced scale insect is found in most parts of the northern
half of the North Island. It has a wide host range that includes
both native and exotic plants.
New distribution record for New Zealand – Insect: Illeis
galbula (Coccinellidae); Region: Bay of Plenty; Host: Not
applicable; Coll: B Rogan, 02/12/2005; Ident: D Jones,
06/12/2005; Comments: This Australian fungus-feeding species
was first found in New Zealand in 1985. Previously it has been
known only from Northland and Auckland.
New host record for New Zealand – Insect: Saissetia oleae
(Coccidae); Region: Hawke’s Bay; Host: Cantua buxifolia; Coll:
J Bartram, 14/12/2005; Ident: D Jones, 22/12/2005; Comments:
This cosmopolitan scale insect was first recorded in New Zealand
in 1885 and is found throughout most of the country. It has a very
wide host range.
(John Bain and Diane Jones, Ensis)
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