Weed Biocontrol Issue 75
In this issue
New Year, New Agents
Welcome to 2016! So what can we expect 2016 to hold with regards to new weed biocontrol agents? Well potentially quite a few.
Broom Gall Mite a Decade on
It has been 10 years since the broom gall mite (Aceria genistae) was brought to New Zealand to try to reduce the menace caused by Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius). Although the mites are too small to see with the naked eye, the damage they are doing to broom is now becoming obvious.
News from the ‘Rearing’ End
The failure of weed biocontrol agents to establish in the field can be costly in terms of resources, but also because of ongoing harm to the environment and productive landscapes. Whether or not we can easily rear biocontrol agents can have a significant bearing on agent establishment and, therefore, on the outcome of weed biocontrol projects.
White Admiral Butterfly Establishes
One of the highlights of last year was releasing the Honshu white admiral butterfly (Limenitis glorifica) in November 2015 and observing that it had successfully reproduced at a location in the Waikato, with subsequent generations emerging in January and again in March 2016.
Autumn Activities
There are a few things you might want to fit in before the wind-down towards winter. We would be very interested to hear about what you find.
Online Weed ID now Bigger and Better
Identification of New Zealand’s weeds has just become easier with an expanded online tool. The interactive key to Weed Species of New Zealand is available for use, free of charge, on the Landcare Research website.
