What's buzzing? A snapshot analysis of pest notifications

The Ministry for Primary Industries' PHELs receive many notifications each year of pests suspected of being new to New Zealand. Most notifications are received through the Ministry's free Pest and Disease Hotline and are an important source of surveillance data. During the period January 2015-February 2018, PHELs received ~9400 notifications, with each March the busiest (1,160) period. Fifty-one percent of notifications came from Auckland, Waikato or the Bay of Plenty. The brown soldier bug, Cermatulus nasalis, was the most frequently reported (483) invertebrate. Publicity campaigns targeting specific pests (e.g. brown marmorated stink bug), past incursion-response publicity (e.g. fruit flies, termites) and "strange-looking" invertebrate notifications are all reflected in the organisms reported. Excluding targeted campaigns and incursion responses, guava moth, Coscinoptycha improbana (181; ~2%), was the most frequently reported, followed by the three-lined hover fly, Helophilus seelandicus (97; ~1%). Spiders, as a group, were reported in considerable numbers (14.4%). Ant samples were frequently submitted (9.1%). These data indicate the number of notifications geographically is proportional to human-population levels. These results will assist PHEL in planning and engaging in future surveillance initiatives.

Is the poor establishment and performance of heather beetle in Tongariro National Park due to the impact of parasitoids predators or disease

Heather beetle (Lochmaea suturalis) introduced in 1996 into Tongariro National Park New Zealand to control heather (Calluna vulgaris) has established poorly and only damaged heather at one site This work investigated whether natural enemies could be reducing heather beetle establishment and impact No egg larval or adult parasitism was found Possible egg predation by a carabid beetle larvae and occasional attacks on larvae by the native pentatomid (Cermatulus nasalis) were observed in the field Neither the microsporidian pathogen discovered in some beetles imported from the United Kingdom nor any other pathogenic diseases were detected in fieldcollected beetles in New Zealand It is suggested that adverse weather was responsible for a collapse in heather beetle numbers at Te Piripiri during 2002 Further efforts to redistribute heather beetle and continued monitoring of beetle numbers impact natural enemies and climate at release sites are recommended