Enoggera nassaui has been the key biological control agent of the eucalyptus tortoise beetle Paropsis charybdis since 1987. In 2001 a second egg parasitoid Neopolycystus insectifurax as well as an obligate hyperparasitoid of E. nassaui, Baeoanusia albifunicle were detected in New Zealand. Monitoring of Eucalyptus nitens plantations in the central North Island revealed that 50% of P. charybdis eggs in half the sites were parasitised by E. nassaui in early summer. However, later in the season this was followed by a reduction to 10% parasitism by E. nassaui, the remaining 40% of parasitised eggs being hyperparasitised by B. albifunicle. Neopolycystus insectifurax parasitised an additional 35-100% of eggs in late summer. This indicates that, while B. albifunicle has the potential to severely reduce the effectiveness of E. nassaui, the new agent N. insectifurax is a promising alternative.
Porotermes adamsoni (Australian dampwood termite) has been intercepted on infested timber of Australian origin at ports in New Zealand on numerous occasions Porotermes adamsoni attacks dead and living trees (principally Eucalyptus species) There are three known extant colonies of P adamsoni in New Zealand Lyttelton in Canterbury and Kaipara Flats and Newmarket in Auckland Surveillance operations to delimit the extent of the termite incursion at Kaipara Flats and Newmarket are outlined Biosecurity considerations are discussed
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