Farm Forestry New Zealand
PESTS AND DISEASES OF FORESTRY IN NEW ZEALAND
Termites - Two new South Island records
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Formerly known as the Forest Research Institute, Scion has been a leader in research relating to forest health for over 50 years. The Rotorua-based Crown Research Institute continues to provide science that will protect all forests from damage caused by insect pests, pathogens and weeds. The information presented below arises from these research activities.
From Forest Health News No. 18, March 1993.
- Found in salvaged power poles (mixed Australian hardwood). Electricity Ashburton, 25/3/93:-
a) Ceratokalotermes spoliator (Kalotermitidae). This species has been recorded from New Zealand only once before - in a recently imported hardwood pole (not yet in service) in Auckland in 1960. It occurs on the eastern coast of Australia from northern Queensland to southern New South Wales. It has been recorded from several species of eucalypts and Angophora lanceolata and generally gains access to the heartwood via branch stubs. Colonies are usually quite small and occur from near ground level to about 10 metres up the tree - they may cause considerable damage to the heartwood. This termite has never been recorded as a pest of timber in service. Soldiers have unusually long mandibles for a kalotermitid and alates are very dark - nearly black, instead of the more usual chocolate brown.
b) Glyptotermes tuberculatus (Kalotermitidae). This Australian species was first recorded in New Zealand from an imported Australian hardwood pole in 1940 (Auckland). Since then it has been found in wharf timbers in Auckland, and in power poles in Hamilton, Mangakino, Te Puke, Auckland, Gisborne and near Taipuha, North Auckland. It has never been found in other than imported material and so cannot be regarded as established. It is native to New South Wales where it has been recorded from Eucalyptus spp. and Banksia spp. into which it usually gains entry to the heartwood of the living tree via fire scars. It is not considered a serious pest and has only rarely been recorded from timber in use. Appropriate destruction action was taken by Protection Officers (Quarantine), Christchurch. (Mike Nuttall)
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(Scion is the trading name of the New Zealand Forest Research Institute Limited.)
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