Weed Biocontrol Issue 84
In this issue
Galls on native broom no cause for concern
The emerging success of the broom gall mite (Aceria genistae) has people starting to notice galls on other plants too.
Japanese butterfly takes flight
New Zealand’s newest butterfly, the Honshu white admiral (Limenitis glorifica), has established well near the Coromandel Peninsula and is starting to spread its wings in other regions where Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) is a target weed.
A lucky break in Uruguay
In February, Hugh Gourlay and Hamish Hodgson travelled to Uruguay to search for biocontrol agents for moth plant (Araujia hortorum) and woolly nightshade (Solanum mauritianum). Unsure of what they would find there, this excursion into the unknown has provided some much-needed breakthroughs.
Tradescantia be gone!
Brazilian beetles, first released in 2011, haven’t wasted any time getting stuck into the swathes of tradescantia (Tradescantia fluminensis) that are infesting gardens, reserves and conservation land.
Old man’s beard to face new attack
Entomologist Lindsay Smith is visiting Serbia in May to look for some small but hopefully ‘mighty’ biocontrol agents that might be able to finally give old man’s beard (Clematis vitalba) a much-needed trim. This highly invasive vine smothers native trees and sub-canopy plants, preventing regeneration and modifying the natural interactions necessary for a healthy forest ecosystem.
