Farm Forestry New Zealand
PESTS AND DISEASES OF FORESTRY IN NEW ZEALAND
Synthetic pheromone to help in painted apple moth programme
From Biosecurity Issue 24, December 2000.
Painted apple moth, an Australian pest first found in Auckland last year, is the focus for intensive monitoring and control work by MAF. Development of a trapping system is an essential part of the programme. It is expected the moth can be eradicated from New Zealand.
What is it?
The painted apple moth (Teia anartoides) is a native of Australia and poses a serious threat to New Zealand’s forestry, horticulture and conservation sectors. It can severely defoliate host trees and has a broad host range, now known to comprise several native, as well as exotic species. Acacia and brush wattle are its preferred hosts; however it is known to attack radiata pine and pip and stone fruit trees.
Where is it?
Painted apple moth was first reported from the west Auckland suburb of Glendene in May last year. Since then, the initial one kilometre radius survey zone has been extended during different surveys to allow for finds on the periphery. The survey zone includes about 1350 sites of which painted apple moth has been found on 48 ‘properties’ (these include residential, industrial and council land).
Almost five months after the initial find in Glendene, on 28 September 1999, painted apple moth was found in the suburb of Mt Wellington – about 15 kilometres from the Glendene infestation. A delimiting survey was completed within two weeks and 11 infested sites were located. During 14 months of monitoring in this area, a total of 19 properties (from the 1200 sites regularly surveyed) have been found to harbour painted apple moth.
What are we doing about it?
Pheromone research
MAF contracted HortResearch to initiate the development of a synthetic pheromone in August last year, and the project is now well underway. HortResearch scientists have so far identified components of the pheromone. In collaboration with Japanese scientists, additional second component material will soon be available for testing. A third component has also been confirmed as being biologically active. It is hoped that the synthetic pheromone will be available for use in the 2000/01 programme.
Moth rearing
There are now two colonies of moths being reared by HortResearch and an artificial rearing diet has been developed. Problems with pathogens in the original colony appear to be resolved. The female moths will be used in a caged-moth trapping system, with an initial array of 200 traps being placed within the infested Auckland suburbs in December this year. A regular caged-moth trapping system, comprising some 500 traps, will be in place from late January-March 2001. This will follow a request for proposal to obtain a trapping system service provider.
MAF Forest Biosecurity is responsible for designing and implementing the painted apple moth response programme. In each suburb, delimiting surveys have been followed by full surveys of the 1km radius zone at 6-8 weekly intervals.
When signs of the pest are found, several control options have been used. These include host and ground spraying with chlorpyrifos or deltamethrin and the destruction of host trees. Restrictions have also been placed on the removal of vegetation from the area and a free rubbish removal service has been provided for residents. Together with its immediate neighbours, each of the properties found to be infested at any stage is inspected weekly to check that controls have been effective.
To ensure all bases were covered, MAF has periodically convened a technical group to provide advice and peer review response measures. The group includes science and operational expertise across a wide range of disciplines and from a variety of institutions, including representatives from the Auckland and Waitakere City Councils.
In May this year, the technical group reconfirmed that the development of a synthetic pheromone was essential to the eradication effort. In the absence of a pheromone, or while waiting for the pheromone to be developed, trapping using caged female moths was recommended. As a result of the recommendations, HortResearch continues its research into developing a pheromone for use in the programme. In the meantime, an initial array of 200 caged female traps is being placed in certain parts of the affected areas this month.
What is it costing?
In the first year of the response, MAF utilised funding for the painted apple moth programme from within its existing Vote Biosecurity baselines at a cost of approximately $790,000 (including GST). In early August this year, the Government agreed to appropriate $1.754 million over two years (i.e. until July 2002) for the continuation of the response.
When will it end?
The behaviour of an exotic organism in a new environment is always difficult to predict. With the information it has available, MAF believes that the current response measures for painted apple moth are appropriate and considers that there is a high probability that eradication will be achieved within the funded programme.
Pheromone research
MAF contracted HortResearch to initiate the development of a synthetic pheromone in August last year, and the project is now well underway. HortResearch scientists have so far identified components of the pheromone. In collaboration with Japanese scientists, additional second component material will soon be available for testing. A third component has also been confirmed as being biologically active. It is hoped that the synthetic pheromone will be available for use in the 2000/01 programme.
Moth rearing
There are now two colonies of moths being reared by HortResearch and an artificial rearing diet has been developed. Problems with pathogens in the original colony appear to be resolved. The female moths will be used in a caged-moth trapping system, with an initial array of 200 traps being placed within the infested Auckland suburbs in December this year. A regular caged-moth trapping system, comprising some 500 traps, will be in place from late January-March 2001. This will follow a request for proposal to obtain a trapping system service provider.
Ruth Frampton, Director Forest Biosecurity, MAF Forest Biosecurity
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