2015-04-28 Attachment 2 to item 5 Planning and Organisation Committee Agenda - Pest Management Plan 2015-2019

CASE STUDY                                            trials conducted in Australia supplement and
                                                      support South African studies, which indicate that
                                                      the tingid bug is a highly host specific biocontrol
Cat’s Claw Creeper/Tingid Bug                         agent, which does not pose risk to any non-target
                                                      plants in Australia. The tingid can lay eggs and
Background                                            complete nymphal development only on the target
                                                      weed M. unguis-cati. It was recommended that
Council has initiated a control program aimed         C. visenda be used as a biocontrol agent as it
at reducing the infestation levels of Macfadyena      has the potential to play an important role in the
unguis-cati or cat’s claw creeper (CCC) occurring     control of M. unguis-cati while posing no threat to
in the Kin Kin Creek sub-catchment of the Noosa       any non-target plants.
River. This control program follows Integrated
                                                      Method
Pest Management (IPM) principles to manage
pest damage by the most economical means,
                                                      Advice from AFRS, which is supported by the
and with the least possible hazard to people,
                                                      activity of populations in previous releases
property, and the environment. The control
                                                      in Gympie, shows that field hardened tingids
program initiated in the Kin Kin sub-catchment for
                                                      develop a resilience to cold, and hence releases
the control of CCC uses chemical control and the
                                                      of tingids will occur throughout the year. Monthly
biocontrol, Carvalhotingis visenda (the tingid bug)
                                                      injections over 12 months of NDLG-reared tingid
to treat the targeted species.
                                                      bugs will be made into established release
CCC is a major environmental weed in coastal          sites. This action will maintain the levels of the
and sub-coastal areas of Queensland and New           existing populations, which fluctuates due to
South Wales. Control of this weed by non-             changing environmental conditions. Monitoring is
biological means is both difficult and expensive,     a component of the program and this information
and biocontrol appears the most suitable method.      will be delivered to Council and AFRS.

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’s Claw creeper at Kin Kin

Biocontrol Agent

The biocontrol used for this program is the tingid
bug or Carvalhotingis visenda. Host specificity


                                                                                                Page 22