2015-01-12 General Committee Agenda Attachment 1 to Item 7 Pest Management Plan 2015-2019

Case Study
Cat’s Claw Creeper/Tingid Bug

Background

Council has initiated a control program aimed at reducing the infestation levels of Macfadyena unguis-cati or cat’s
claw creeper (CCC) occurring in the Kin Kin Creek sub-catchment of the Noosa River. This control program
follows Integrated Pest Management (IPM) principles to manage pest damage by the most economical means,
and with the least possible hazard to people, property, and the environment. The control program initiated in the
Kin Kin sub-catchment for the control of CCC uses chemical control and the biocontrol, Carvalhotingis visenda
(the tingid bug) to treat the targeted species.

CCC is a major environmental weed in coastal and sub-coastal areas of Queensland and New South Wales.
Control of this weed by non-biological means is both difficult and expensive, and biocontrol appears the most
suitable method.

Partnerships

This was a partnership project involving Noosa Council, the Alan Fletcher Research Station (AFRS) and the
Noosa and District Landcare Group (NDLG). The program has been funded and directed by Council. NDLG has
conducted the on ground operations and monitoring activities. AFRS has provided field support and supplied the
program with insects from their rearing facility.




                                Tingid bug damage on Cat’sClaw creeper at Kin Kin

Biocontrol Agent

The biocontrol used for this program is the tingid bug or Carvalhotingis visenda. Host specificity trials conducted in
Australia supplement and support South African studies, which indicate that the tingid bug is a highly host specific
biocontrol agent, which does not pose risk to any non-target plants in Australia. The tingid can lay eggs and
complete nymphal development only on the target weed M. unguis-cati. It was recommended that C. visenda be
used as a biocontrol agent as it has the potential to play an important role in the control of M. unguis-cati while
posing no threat to any non-target plants.

Method

Advice from AFRS, which is supported by the activity of populations in previous releases in Gympie, shows that
field hardened tingids develop a resilience to cold, and hence releases of tingids will occur throughout the year.
Monthly injections over 12 months of NDLG-reared tingid bugs will be made into established release sites. This
action will maintain the levels of the existing populations, which fluctuates due to changing environmental
conditions. Monitoring is a component of the program and this information will be delivered to Council and
AFRS.




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