Stop bugging me: Giving eucalypt pests the push
Stephanie Sopow, Toni Withers, Lindsay Bulman and Michelle Harnett, New Zealand Tree Grower May 2016.
Nibbling, noshing, chewing, sucking − Australia’s vast variety of eucalypts are fodder for a wide range of insect pests. With trade and weather patterns, many have made their way from their homeland to New Zealand where they threaten eucalypt trees planted in local parks and forests. Some, such as the eucalyptus tortoise leaf beetle, have been in the country for a century or more, others are recent arrivals with their presence only being noted in the last couple of decades.
The task of combatting serious threats to planted eucalypt forests falls to New Zealand’s forest entomologists, such as those at Scion, who can identify, monitor and work out ways to fight old and new pests, and try to anticipate what might pose problems in the future. These are some of their stories.
Keeping bronze bug at bay
The bronze bug Thaumastocoris peregrinus is a recently recorded arrival from Australia. It was first found in central Auckland in 2012. A sap feeder, its presence is concerning as it can lead to premature leaf drop, branches dying, and in severe cases, tree death.
Over 40 species of eucalypts have been recorded as hosts of bronze bug worldwide, but the most severely affected species in New Zealand so far appear to be Eucalyptus nicholii and E. viminalis, both popular amenity trees. With the exception of E. argophloia, the eucalypt species thought to be suitable for dryland hardwood production in New Zealand have not been reported as hosts so far.
In the autumn and spring of 2015, Scion scientists surveyed the North Island for sightings of bronze bug and found it had spread to Auckland’s North Shore and as far south as Hamilton, a distance of approximately 130 km. Bronze bugs were not found on its favourite hosts in Rotorua, Tauranga and Hawke’s Bay, but it is feared the pest may soon reach the Bay of Plenty region due to its ability to disperse. Another survey will be carried out in autumn this year.
Help find bronze bug
The 2015 findings, and earlier observations, have been recorded on the NatureWatch website. NatureWatch is a public forum encouraging citizen science. Anyone who notices bronze bug is urged to enter their sighting at www.naturewatch.org.nz under the project ‘Spread of Bronze Bug in New Zealand’ and help entomologists map the spread of the pest in New Zealand.
Autumn is the time of year when bronze bug damage to eucalypt trees is most apparent. Heavily infested trees can be identified from a distance by their rusty colour. The leaf discolouration is called winter bronzing. When bronzing is not visible, or for trees with foliage out of reach, infestations can often be confirmed by looking for clusters of black eggs on fallen leaves on the ground. This is a good way to establish the bug’s presence because both unhatched and hatched eggs are very visible.
There is a note of warning. If you come near infected trees be very careful not to accidentally pick up hitchhikers and spread the bronze bug further. It is good practice to spray clothing, shoes and even vehicles with household fly spray before leaving a confirmed site.
A bug-eat-bug world
The tortoise leaf beetle Paropsis charybdis was first recorded in New Zealand in 1916. With few natural enemies in this country, it is a ferocious pest of eucalypts. Females can lay up to 4,000 eggs in their lifetime and both the larval stages and the long-lived adults prefer the flush foliage of E. nitens, E. macarthurii and E. globulus.
Attempts have been made to introduce biological agents to control tortoise leaf beetle. An egg parasitoid was successful in reducing pest numbers for many years until a natural incursion of one of its enemies reduced its effectiveness. A ladybird has also been spread to a few parts of New Zealand, but this was never thought to be an agent that would solve the tortoise leaf beetle problem. Now, the potential of a new control agent that targets the beetle’s larval stages is being evaluated.
Eadya paropsidis is a parasitoid wasp from Tasmania. It lays its eggs inside tortoise leaf beetle larvae. On hatching, the wasp larvae eat the beetle larvae from the inside out and eventually kill them. The wasp larvae then pupate and emerge in the following spring.
One of the first steps in introducing a new biological control agent is rearing it in laboratory conditions. The entomologists working with E. paropsidis knew this would be a challenge. During 2015 a small number of the parasitoids were successfully over-wintered. Daylight hours and temperature were manipulated in a high security containment room to mimic those occurring in the parasitoid’s native Tasmania. Then it was a case of crossing fingers and waiting.
The project team members were relieved to see a small number of the parasitoids began to emerge from over-wintering at the end of November 2015, synchronised with the emergence of their Tasmanian relatives. Although a ‘baby step’ in relation to the entire project, the successful over-wintering, as well as successful wasp matings in the laboratory, were breakthroughs for the team.
Testing the control
Another necessary step before releasing a new organism is to make sure that the control agent only attacks the target host. Over the next two years the team will be checking to see if E. paropsidis is host specific, or if it attacks other beetles closely related to the target pest, whether native or introduced for weed control.
This work has started using a combination of approaches. One is a forced exposure to either the target or non-target larvae alone. Another is a ‘two-choice assay’ with exposure to target and non-target larvae at the same time. Two beetles in the same subfamily as tortoise leaf beetle have been subject to screening so far, the tutsan weed leaf beetle Chrysolina abchasica, which could potentially control this weed, and the broom leaf beetle, Gonioctena olivacea.
The results are promising so far. In tests, female E. paropsidis tend to ignore both of these alternative species. Instead, they carefully and repeatedly search the eucalypt leaves and stalk tortoise leaf beetle larvae. The team are rearing all the target and non-target larvae to confirm these observations. An update on this research will be available on the NZFFA website later this year.
The work on E. paropsidis is supported by a Sustainable Farming Fund grant from the Ministry for Primary Industries with co-funding from NZFFA, Southwood Exports, Oji Fibre Solutions, the Specialty Wood Products Partnership and Scion core funding.
Very hairy caterpillar update
Arriving around 1992, the gum leaf skeletoniser moth Uraba lugens is now found from Auckland to Nelson. As well as reducing gum leaves to a skeleton, the caterpillars are covered in long hairs which can be intensely irritating to human skin.
Scion entomologists found that the parasitoid wasp Cotesia urabae was a promising biocontrol agent for gum leaf skeletoniser − see the article in Tree Grower, May 2015. The first wasps were released in 2011 in Auckland where they have become established. Further releases of wasps and gum leaf skeletoniser caterpillars infected with wasp larvae followed in other places around the country. Dr Toni Withers, the scientist leading the project, has just recently received confirmation that the wasp has become established in Napier.
The presence of C. urabae is good news for residents of suburbs such as Napier Hill. The summer weather has favoured the pest caterpillar, which has proliferated to such an extent that it is a health hazard in gardens and backyards with overhanging eucalypt hosts.
Invasions, incursions and infestations
It is impossible to predict what and when the next incursion might be. The only sure thing is that there will be new incursions of eucalypt and other plant pests, and that the number of establishing pests could increase with climate change and increasing global trade.
Forest biosecurity surveillance, monitoring insect traps and trees around ports and other high risk sites and inspection of imported goods intercepts many pests every year. However, nothing is fool proof. Ten forest insect pest incursions on eucalypts have occurred in last two decades. One of these was successfully eradicated. Improving forest biosecurity surveillance is another part of Scion’s work. The way biosecurity risk is assessed is being revised with the aim of improving early detection of new pests and pathogens.
It is more efficient to look for unwanted organisms in areas where they are most likely to establish. To this end, the Scion team are looking at the risk of pests arriving via pathways such as sea vessels, containers, dunnage, used vehicles imported from overseas, furniture and people to predict where the pests might first make landfall.
The pests being used as models in this work originate from Asia, Europe and the USA. While this may not seem particularly relevant to eucalypts, there is a real possibility that eucalypt pests could reach New Zealand from countries around the world where plantation eucalypts are grown. The bronze bug, for example, is found in South Africa, South America and Europe.
The aim is a surveillance scheme which detects the next incursion by predicting where along the pathway pests are most likely to be found. The Asian gypsy moth pest often enters on imported cars and is far more likely to be discovered in car yards than at a port or registration site. Knowing that, it is possible to work out where in the country it might be discovered. Perhaps predictably, the points of highest risk are around ports and urban areas.
Considering the highest risk areas, and the cost of forest surveillance around the country, it is possible to identify where surveillance efforts should be concentrated to get the best value from limited resources. The Kaikoura region provides a good example of how effort can be optimised based on risk. It is expensive to monitor forests around Kaikoura and the risk of exposure to Asian gypsy moth via a car yard in this part of the country is low. Therefore, it makes more to sense and cents to concentrate surveillance on regions where the risk is higher, such as Auckland or Tauranga.
Risk and cost
The forest biosecurity surveillance highlights that the major points of entry are air and sea ports, which are generally located near urban areas. This complicates the logistics of trying to eradicate pests using methods such as broadcast aerial spraying. The need to be able to deal with pest incursions in cities has led to a new research programme funded by Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and led by Scion.
The overall aim of the project is to improve New Zealand’s ability to eradicate plant pests before they become established based on −
- Active surveillance to detect populations while they are small
- Developing alternatives to broadcast aerial spraying to reduce pesticide use and concerns from the public
- Understanding communities to communicate risk better and to involve residents in planning and preparation for eradication efforts.
The results of the research are also likely to lead to more efficient methods to manage already established pests and to improve the protection of native plants.
The project’s budget is $4.5 million over three years. This sounds expensive but must be weighed against the potential costs of a high risk plant pest becoming established, in term of lost production and the possible effects of other countries closing down trade due to concerns that exported products could be transporting the pest. Improving New Zealand’s biosecurity is estimated to be worth $2.5 billion.
Improved surveillance and detection methods at ports are all very well, but pests can be blown across the Tasman Sea. The westerly conditions suitable for trans-Tasman migration occur 20 to 30 times year. Australian moths, butterflies, other invertebrates and pathogens are arriving all the time. The most likely landing places are thought to around Nelson and the Marlborough Sounds, and near the Manawatu Gorge, Mount Taranaki and low lying areas north of Hamilton.
With climate change, some areas of the country are predicted to become warmer, others wetter, and more frequent and extreme weather is expected. The big questions are which pests might establish themselves in a warmer and wetter New Zealand, and how will those that are already here react.
Indications of what might happen over the next century can be generated by modelling how particular species might react under different climate scenarios. Using bronze bug as an example, and conservative climate predictions, the results suggest that it has potential to establish throughout most of the North Island and in the northern and eastern regions of the South Island.
Not always a problem
Trying to anticipate which eucalypt pest could arrive next, and whether or not it might cause serious problems is nearly impossible. For example, tortoise leaf beetle, which is perhaps New Zealand’s worst eucalypt pest, is very rarely a problem in its native Australia.
Some clues as to which insects and diseases have the potential to cause trouble in New Zealand can be found in planted eucalypt forests growing outside Australia.
Beetles from the genus Trachymela, which are close relatives of tortoise leaf beetle, are pests in South Africa and California. Some species are have been reported in New Zealand but do not seem to be a serious threat, but considering that Australia is home to more than 120 different species of Trachymela, it is quite possible one or more could cause problems in the future.
On an optimistic note, an incursion and even establishment does not necessarily mean an insect is here for good. Odd-looking beetles reported on eucalypts by an Upper Hutt resident in 2012 were identified as Paropsisterna beata. A programme using targeted spraying was successful and the P. beata population was eradicated.
For the insects that do slip over New Zealand’s borders, the best protection is active surveillance and early detection. Owners of small to medium size forests, who know their trees and their land, are in an ideal position to spot new or unusual insects and other pests. Suspicious pests should be reported on the MPI hotline 0800 809966.
For more information on eucalypts pests contact forest entomologist Dr Toni Withers, email@example.com and for more information on forest biosecurity contact Lindsay Bulman, Science Leader Forest Protection, firstname.lastname@example.org
"Kupitia utafiti wa ""Ukosefu wa Uwezo wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti." Kula, kunyonya, kutafuna, kunyonya - Aina nyingi za eucalyptus za Australia ni chakula cha wadudu wengi. Kwa sababu ya biashara na hali ya hewa, wengi wao wametoka nchi yao kwenda New Zealand, ambako wanahatarisha miti ya mwaloni iliyopandwa katika mbuga na misitu ya huko. Baadhi ya wadudu kama vile Eucalyptus Turtle wamekuwa nchini humo kwa karne moja au zaidi, wengine wamewasili hivi karibuni na uwepo wao umegunduliwa tu katika miongo michache iliyopita. Kazi ya kupambana na vitisho vikali kwa misitu ya eucalyptus iliyopandwa inashuka kwa wataalamu wa wadudu wa misitu ya New Zealand, kama wale wa Scion, ambao wanaweza kutambua, kufuatilia na kufanya njia za kupambana na wadudu wa zamani na wapya, na kujaribu kutarajia nini kinaweza kusababisha matatizo katika siku zijazo. Hizi ni baadhi ya hadithi zao. Kuondoa mdudu wa shaba Mdudu wa shaba Thaumastocoris peregrinus amefika hivi karibuni kutoka Australia. Mlipuko huo uligunduliwa mwaka 2012 katika eneo la Auckland. Uwepo wake ni muhimu kwa sababu unaweza kusababisha majani kuanguka mapema, matawi kufa, na katika kesi kali, kifo cha mti. Zaidi ya spishi 40 za eucalyptus zimeorodheshwa kama majeshi ya mdudu wa shaba ulimwenguni kote, lakini spishi zilizoathiriwa sana huko New Zealand hadi sasa zinaonekana kuwa Eucalyptus nicholi na E. viminalis, miti yote miwili maarufu ya starehe. Isipokuwa E. argophloia, spishi za eucalyptus zinazodhaniwa kuwa zinafaa kwa uzalishaji wa mbao ngumu za nchi kavu huko New Zealand hazijaripotiwa kama majeshi hadi sasa. Katika majira ya kupukutika kwa joto na majira ya kuchipua ya 2015, wanasayansi wa Scion walichunguza Kisiwa cha Kaskazini kwa maono ya mdudu wa shaba na kugundua kuwa imesambaa hadi Pwani ya Kaskazini ya Auckland na kusini hadi Hamilton, umbali wa karibu kilomita 130. "Bubbles ya shaba haikupatikana kwenye majeshi yake ya Rotorua, Tauranga na Hawke's Bay, lakini inaogopwa kwamba wadudu wanaweza kufikia eneo la Bay of Plenty kwa sababu ya uwezo wake wa kutawanyika. """ Uchunguzi mwingine utafanywa katika vuli ya mwaka huu. "Kama matokeo ya uchunguzi wa mwaka 2015 na uchunguzi wa awali, yameandikwa kwenye tovuti ya NatureWatch.""" NatureWatch ni jukwaa la umma linalohimiza sayansi ya raia. "Kila mtu anayegundua mdudu wa shaba anasisitizwa kuingiza uchunguzi wake kwenye tovuti ya ""Naturewatch"" chini ya mradi wa ""Spread of the Bronze Bug in New Zealand"" na kusaidia wataalamu wa wadudu kuchora ramani ya kuenea kwa wadudu hao nchini New Zealand." Majira ya kupukutika kwa majani ni wakati ambapo wadudu wa shaba huathiri sana miti ya mwaloni. Miti iliyoathiriwa sana yaweza kutambuliwa kwa mbali kwa rangi yake ya kutu. Uharibifu huo wa rangi ya majani huitwa rangi ya bronzing ya majira ya baridi kali. Wakati bronzing haionekani, au kwa miti na majani nje ya kufikia, infestations mara nyingi inaweza kuthibitishwa kwa kuangalia kwa makundi ya mayai nyeusi juu ya majani kuanguka juu ya ardhi. Hii ni njia nzuri ya kuanzisha uwepo wa mdudu kwa sababu mayai yote mawili yasiyochukuliwa na yaliyochukuliwa yanaonekana sana. Kuna onyo fulani. Ikiwa unakaribia miti iliyoambukizwa, kuwa mwangalifu sana usichukue kwa bahati mbaya waendeshaji wa gari na kueneza mdudu wa shaba zaidi. Ni mazoezi mazuri kunyunyizia nguo, viatu na hata magari na dawa ya kuua nzi kabla ya kuondoka mahali palipothibitishwa. Katika New Zealand, Paropsis charybdis, aina ya kipepeo anayeitwa leaf beetle, alisambazwa kwa mara ya kwanza mwaka 1916. Kwa kuwa kuna maadui wa kawaida wachache katika nchi hii, ni wadudu wakali wa mwaloni. Wanawake wanaweza kuweka hadi mayai 4,000 katika maisha yao, na wote hatua ya larvae na watu wazima wa muda mrefu wanapendelea majani ya E. nitens, E. macarthurii na E. globulus. Jitihada zimefanywa za kuingiza viungo vya kibiolojia ili kudhibiti mdudu anayeitwa tortoise leaf beetle. Kwa miaka mingi, mnyama huyo alifaulu kupunguza idadi ya wadudu, lakini uvamizi wa mojawapo ya adui zake ulipunguza ufanisi wake. Wanyama hao pia wamepatikana katika sehemu kadhaa za New Zealand, lakini hawajawahi kuonwa kuwa njia ya kutatua tatizo la wadudu hao. Sasa, uwezekano wa dawa mpya ya kudhibiti ambayo inalenga hatua za mabuu ya mdudu huyo unathaminiwa. Eadya paropsidis ni nyigu aina ya parasitoid kutoka Tasmania. Hutoa mayai yake ndani ya mabuu ya mbawakawa wa majani ya kasa. Wanapofungua, mabuu ya nyigu hula mabuu ya mbawakawa kutoka ndani hadi nje na hatimaye kuwaua. Kisha, mabuu ya nyigu hufanyiza viumbe na kutokea katika majira ya kuchipua yanayofuata. Mojawapo ya hatua za kwanza za kuanzisha dawa mpya ya kudhibiti viumbe hai ni kuichukua katika maabara. Wataalamu wa wadudu waliofanya kazi na E. paropsidis walijua kwamba hilo lingekuwa tatizo. Katika mwaka wa 2015, idadi ndogo ya parasitoids walikuwa mafanikio juu ya majira ya baridi. Saa za mchana na halijoto zilibadilishwa katika chumba cha ulinzi wa hali ya juu ili kuiga zile zinazotokea katika Tasmania ya asili ya parasitidi. Kisha ikawa jambo la kushikilia vidole na kungoja. "Wanachama wa timu ya mradi walifurahi kuona idadi ndogo ya ""parasitoids"" walianza kuibuka kutoka kwa overwintering mwishoni mwa Novemba 2015, kwa wakati mmoja na kuibuka kwa jamaa zao wa Tasmania." Ingawa ilikuwa "hatua ndogo" kuhusiana na mradi mzima, mafanikio ya overwintering, pamoja na mafanikio ya wasp mating katika maabara, walikuwa mafanikio kwa ajili ya timu. Hatua nyingine muhimu kabla ya kutolewa kiumbe kipya ni kuhakikisha kwamba wakala wa kudhibiti inashambulia tu mwenyeji lengo. Katika miaka miwili ijayo, watafiti watakagua ikiwa E. parapsidis ni ya kipekee kwa mwenyeji, au ikiwa inashambulia vimelea vingine vinavyohusiana na wadudu hao, iwe ni wa asili au wametolewa kwa ajili ya udhibiti wa magugu. Kazi hii imeanza kutumia mchanganyiko wa mbinu. Moja ni mfiduo wa kulazimishwa kwa ama lengo au non-lengo larvae peke yake. Mwingine ni "mtihani wa chaguo mbili" na mfiduo wa larva za lengo na zisizo za lengo kwa wakati mmoja. Kwa sasa, aina mbili za mbawakawa wa jamii ya Turtle Leaf Beetle zimefanyiwa uchunguzi, aina ya Chrysolina abchasica, ambayo inaweza kudhibiti magugu hayo, na aina ya Gonioctena olivacea. Matokeo ni yenye kuahidi hadi sasa. Katika vipimo, wanawake E. paropsidis huwa kupuuza wote wawili wa spishi hizi mbadala. Badala yake, wao hutafuta kwa uangalifu na mara nyingi katika majani ya mwaloni na kuchunguza mabuu ya mbawakawa wa majani. Timu ni kufuga wote lengo na si lengo larvae kuthibitisha uchunguzi huu. Utafiti huu utachapishwa katika tovuti ya NZFFA baadaye mwaka huu. Kazi ya E. parapsidis inasaidiwa na ruzuku ya Mfuko wa Kilimo Endelevu kutoka Wizara ya Viwanda vya Msingi na ufadhili wa NZFFA, Southwood Export, Oji Fiber Solutions, Ushirikiano wa Bidhaa za Mbao za Maalum na ufadhili wa msingi wa Scion. Mnyama huyo wa aina ya Uraba lugens, ambaye ni aina ya nondo anayeitwa gum leaf skeletonizer, aliishi katika eneo la Auckland hadi Nelson. Mbali na kupunguza majani ya gum kuwa mifupa, mbawakawa hao wamefunikwa kwa nywele ndefu ambazo zinaweza kuudhuru sana ngozi ya binadamu. Wataalamu wa wadudu wa Scion wamegundua kwamba nyigu anayeitwa Cotysia urabae ni kiini cha kudhibiti viumbe hai kinachoweza kuharibu mifupa ya majani ya gum. Wanyama hao walianza kuenea mwaka 2011 huko Auckland, Australia. Utoaji zaidi wa nyigu na caterpillars za gum leaf skeletonizer zilizoambukizwa na mabuu ya nyigu zilifuatiwa katika maeneo mengine kote nchini. Toni Withers, mwanasayansi anayeongoza mradi huo, amepata uthibitisho kwamba nyigu huyo amejiunga na jamii ya Napier. Kuwepo kwa C. urabae ni habari njema kwa wakazi wa vitongoji kama vile Napier Hill. Hali ya hewa ya majira ya joto imemsaidia mdudu huyo, ambaye amezidi kuongezeka hadi kuwa hatari kwa afya katika bustani na nyua za nyuma zenye viumbe wanaoitwa eucalyptus. Mauaji, uvamizi na maambukizi Haiwezekani kutabiri nini na ni lini uvamizi ujao unaweza kuwa. "Kila kitu ni hakika kwamba kutakuwa na uvamizi mpya wa eucalyptus na wadudu wengine wa mimea, na kwamba idadi ya wadudu wanaoweza kuanzisha inaweza kuongezeka na mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa na kuongezeka kwa biashara ya kimataifa. """ Ufuatiliaji wa usalama wa kibiolojia wa misitu, ufuatiliaji wa mitego ya wadudu na miti karibu na bandari na maeneo mengine ya hatari na ukaguzi wa bidhaa zinazopelekwa huzuia wadudu wengi kila mwaka. Hata hivyo, hakuna kitu kisichoweza kudanganywa. Katika miongo miwili iliyopita, wadudu kumi wameharibiwa na wadudu wa misitu kwenye miti ya eucalyptus. Mojawapo ya hizo iliondolewa kwa mafanikio. Kuboresha ufuatiliaji wa usalama wa kibiolojia wa misitu ni sehemu nyingine ya kazi ya Scion. Njia ya kutathmini hatari ya usalama wa kibiolojia inarekebishwa kwa lengo la kuboresha kugundua mapema wadudu wapya na vimelea. Ni bora kutafuta viumbe visivyotakiwa katika maeneo ambako huenda wakaishi. Kwa lengo hili, timu ya Scion inaangalia hatari ya wadudu kuwasili kupitia njia kama vile meli za baharini, vyombo, dunnage, magari yaliyotumiwa yaliyoletwa kutoka nje ya nchi, fanicha na watu ili kutabiri ambapo wadudu wanaweza kwanza kufika pwani. Wadudu wanaotumiwa kama mifano katika kazi hii wanatoka Asia, Ulaya na Marekani. Ingawa hii inaweza kuonekana kuwa haifai hasa kwa eucalyptus, kuna uwezekano halisi kwamba wadudu wa eucalyptus wanaweza kufika New Zealand kutoka nchi kote ulimwenguni ambapo eucalyptus ya shamba hupandwa. Kwa mfano, mdudu anayeitwa bronze bug hupatikana Afrika Kusini, Amerika Kusini, na Ulaya. Lengo ni mpango wa ufuatiliaji ambao hugundua uvamizi ujao kwa kutabiri ambapo kando ya njia wadudu ni uwezekano mkubwa wa kupatikana. Mara nyingi wadudu hao huingia kwenye magari ya nje ya nchi na ni rahisi kugundua katika viwanja vya magari kuliko kwenye bandari au mahali pa kuandikisha magari. Kwa kujua hilo, inawezekana kujua ni wapi katika nchi hiyo huenda ikaonekana. Labda kwa njia inayoweza kutabirika, sehemu zenye hatari kubwa zaidi ziko karibu na bandari na maeneo ya mijini. Kwa kuzingatia maeneo ya hatari ya juu, na gharama ya ufuatiliaji wa misitu nchini kote, inawezekana kutambua ambapo juhudi za ufuatiliaji zinapaswa kukamilika ili kupata thamani bora kutoka kwa rasilimali ndogo. Mkoa wa Kaikoura hutoa mfano mzuri wa jinsi juhudi zinaweza kuboreshwa kulingana na hatari. Ni gharama kubwa kufuatilia misitu karibu na Kaikoura na hatari ya kuambukizwa kwa nondo wa gypsy wa Asia kupitia uwanja wa magari katika sehemu hii ya nchi ni ya chini. Kwa hivyo, inasaidia zaidi kuhisi na kushinikiza ufuatiliaji katika mikoa ambapo hatari ni kubwa, kama vile Auckland au Tauranga. Usalama wa mazingira ya misitu unaonyesha kwamba vituo vikuu vya kuingia ni bandari za hewa na baharini, ambazo kwa ujumla ziko karibu na maeneo ya mijini. Hii hufanya iwe vigumu kujaribu kuondoa wadudu kwa kutumia mbinu kama vile kunyunyizia hewa. Utafiti wa kuambukiza wadudu katika miji ya Ulaya umeongoza mpango mpya wa utafiti unaofadhiliwa na Wizara ya Biashara, Ubunifu na Ajira na kuongozwa na Scion. Lengo kuu la mradi huo ni kuboresha uwezo wa New Zealand wa kuondoa wadudu wa mimea kabla ya kuanzishwa kwa kuzingatia - Ufuatiliaji wa kazi ili kugundua idadi wakati ni ndogo - Kuendeleza mbadala za kutangaza kunyunyizia angani ili kupunguza matumizi ya dawa za kuua wadudu na wasiwasi kutoka kwa umma - Kuelewa jamii kuwasiliana hatari bora na kuhusisha wakazi katika mipango na maandalizi ya juhudi za kuondoa. Matokeo ya utafiti pia yanaweza kusababisha mbinu bora zaidi za kusimamia wadudu waliojulikana tayari na kuboresha ulinzi wa mimea ya asili. Bajeti ya mradi huo ni dola milioni 4.5 kwa kipindi cha miaka mitatu. Hii inaonekana kuwa ghali lakini lazima ipimwe dhidi ya gharama za uwezekano wa wadudu wa mimea wenye hatari ya juu, katika suala la uzalishaji uliopotea na athari zinazowezekana za nchi zingine kufunga biashara kwa sababu ya wasiwasi kwamba bidhaa zinazosafirishwa zinaweza kusafirisha wadudu. Usalama wa kibiolojia wa New Zealand unakadiriwa kuwa na thamani ya dola bilioni 2.5. Ufuatiliaji wa hali ya juu na njia za kugundua katika bandari ni nzuri sana, lakini wadudu wanaweza kuvutwa na upepo katika Bahari ya Tasman. Hali ya hewa ya magharibi inayofaa kwa uhamiaji wa Trans-Tasman hutokea mara 20 hadi 30 kwa mwaka. Nondo wa Australia, vipepeo, wanyama wengine wasio na uti wa mgongo na vimelea vinavyosababisha magonjwa huwasili kila wakati. Mahali pa kutua kwa uwezekano mkubwa ni karibu na Nelson na Marlborough Sounds, na karibu na Manawatu Gorge, Mlima Taranaki na maeneo ya chini kaskazini mwa Hamilton. Kwa sababu ya mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa, baadhi ya maeneo ya nchi yanatarajiwa kuwa na joto zaidi, mengine yenye unyevunyevu zaidi, na hali ya hewa ya mara kwa mara na kali inatarajiwa. "Swali kubwa ni ni ni wadudu gani wanaweza kujiweka katika New Zealand yenye joto na unyevu, na wale ambao tayari wako hapa wataitikiaje.""" "Kuna dalili za kile kinachoweza kutokea katika karne ijayo inaweza kuzalishwa kwa mfano jinsi aina fulani inaweza kujibu chini ya matukio tofauti ya hali ya hewa. """ Kwa kutumia mdudu wa shaba kama mfano, na utabiri wa hali ya hewa wa kihafidhina, matokeo yanaonyesha kuwa ina uwezo wa kuanzisha katika sehemu kubwa ya Kisiwa cha Kaskazini na katika mikoa ya kaskazini na mashariki ya Kisiwa cha Kusini. Ni vigumu kujua ni aina gani ya wadudu wanaosababisha uharibifu wa mimea ya eucalyptus, na ikiwa ni wadudu wanaosababisha uharibifu mkubwa. Kwa mfano, mdudu anayeitwa tortoise leaf beetle, ambaye labda ndiye wadudu mbaya zaidi wa eucalyptus huko New Zealand, ni nadra sana kuwa tatizo katika Australia. Baadhi ya dalili za wadudu na magonjwa yanayoweza kusababisha matatizo katika New Zealand zaweza kupatikana katika misitu ya eucalyptus iliyopandwa nje ya Australia. Vipepeo wa jamii ya Trachymela, ambao ni jamaa wa karibu wa vipepeo wa majani ya kasa, ni wadudu katika Afrika Kusini na California. Baadhi ya spishi za Trachymella zimeripotiwa huko New Zealand lakini hazionekani kuwa tishio kubwa, lakini kwa kuzingatia kwamba Australia ni nyumbani kwa spishi zaidi ya 120 tofauti za Trachymela, inawezekana kabisa moja au zaidi inaweza kusababisha matatizo katika siku zijazo. Kwa mtazamo mzuri, uvamizi na hata kuanzishwa hakumaanishi kwamba wadudu wako hapa milele. "Kama vile ilivyoripotiwa na mwandishi wa habari wa habari wa habari za habari za habari za habari za habari za habari za habari za habari za habari za habari za habari za habari za habari za habari za habari za habari za habari za habari za habari za habari za habari za habari za habari za habari za habari za habari za habari za habari za habari za habari za habari za habari za habari za habari za habari za habari za habari za habari za habari za habari.""" Programu ya kutumia kunyunyizia lengo ilikuwa na mafanikio na idadi ya P. beata ilifutwa. Kwa wadudu ambao huvuka mipaka ya New Zealand, njia bora ya kuwalinda ni kuwachunguza na kuwagundua mapema. Wamiliki wa misitu midogo hadi ya kati, ambao wanajua miti yao na ardhi yao, wako katika nafasi bora ya kuona wadudu wapya au wa ajabu na wadudu wengine. Madhara ya kuambukizwa yanapaswa kuripotiwa kwa simu ya simu ya MPI 0800 809966. Kwa habari zaidi kuhusu mimea ya eucalyptus, wasiliana na mtaalamu wa wadudu wa misitu Toni Withers, email@example.com na kwa habari zaidi juu ya usalama wa mimea ya misitu, wasiliana na Lindsay Bulman, kiongozi wa sayansi wa ulinzi wa misitu, jina la kwanza.