2. Contents: Biological control SNAP - Habitat manipulation
Lacewing, aphid and parasitoid
Tradescantia
Leaf miner
Possum

3. What is biological control?
Natural enemies
Pest
Crop

4. Natural enemies
Pest
Crop

5. Conservation biological control
Habitat manipulation:
Floral resources
Shelter
Nectar
Alternative prey
Pollen
Live longer

6. Predators like the lacewing have been responsible for decreases in economic damage to crops by reducing herbivorous pest species.
Brown lacewing Micromus sp.

7. The brown lacewing is both a predator of many small insects and it also feeds on nectar and pollen, making it omnivorous.
Pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum)

8. The floral resource buckwheat Fagopyrum esculentum, which has a sucrose-rich nectar.

9. Other ways for aphids to die.....
Parasitoid wasp laying eggs in aphid

11. The parasitoid larva eats the mummified aphid from the inside out!

13. The adult parasitoid then emerges from the aphid corpse!

15. Biological Control of Tradescantia

16. Tradescantia fluminensis
Introduced to New Zealand 1910 from South America
Established in many native forests in the North Island
Forms a dense matt on the forest floor
Suppresses growth and regeneration of native plants
Can regenerate from a single 1cm node
Also known as wandering jew

17. Tradescantia Leaf Beetle
Neolema ogloblini-introduced November 2010
Released at 5 sites between Auckland & Northland

18. Imported Beetles Not Yet Released
Neolema abbreviata
Lema basicostata

19. Beetle Biological Control Agents
Neolema abbreviata
Larvae feed on growing tips of plant
Neolema ogloblini
Adult and larvae feed on leaves
Lema basicostata
Adult and larvae feed on stems

20. Tip
Stem
Leaves

21. Current Lincoln University Research
Determine effectiveness of three beetles to control Tradescantia fluminensis :
Decide if three beetles are most effective, or possibly just one beetle could be effective enough to reduce Tradescantia growth and spread

22. The holm oak hedge, Quercus ilex
Leaves 30 cms into the hedge show evidence of leaf mines. Fresh new outer growth not yet showing signs of mines

23. Acorn and leaves from the evergreen oak hedge
The Holm Oak, Quercus ilex
Acorn and leaves from the evergreen oak hedge

24. Leaf mines
The holm oak twig with 5 leaves showing presence of mines. One leaf not infected

25. Leaf miner, Phyllonorycter messaniella
The adult moth on the leaf surface

26. The larva or caterpillar of the leaf miner and a tidy pile of frass

27. Leaf miner attacked by the parasitoid from Te Taiao. No 4
Leaf miner attacked by the parasitoid from Te Taiao. No 4. Nov 2004, ISSN Tangled Web: A new addition to the natural enemy suite controlling leaf-miner.

28. Possum biocontrol – funding for this research at Landcare Research has been cut.

29. The possums own biological systems used to interfere with the process by which sperm fertilises the egg.
This response will be triggered by proteins that make up part of the coat of the sperm or egg, and will stop female possums producing eggs and/or interfere with the fertilisation of any eggs produced.

30. That way, no or very few baby possums will be born, so possum numbers will decline as the adults die off and there are no young to replace them.
The biological control agent based on the sperm or egg proteins will be made into baits and fed to possums from bait stations.

31. LEARNZ
examples include invasive species and their control. Marine reserves High Country wetland ecology Northern wetlands Freshwater ecology Birds of prey

32. ADDITIONAL INFO:
Colour pictures: Aphid, lacewing, parasitoid wasp
Worksheet for everyone: Ecology – pea aphid, lacewing and parasitoid wasp
Web site:
Has worksheets on:
biological control of gorse, gorse spider mite, gorse pod moth, investigating aphids, leaf miner

33. PS Have a look at work done by: Professor Steve Wratten, Lincoln University on the "Greening Waipara" programme, which is using native vegetation in vineyards to enhance ecosystem services:

34. Acknowledgements
Tradescantia information and resources – current M.Sc student, Sam Reed
Video clips, slides and resources on insect bio-control courtesy of Professor Steve Wratten, Eric Wyss and Dr Sophia Orre
All the contents of this presentation draw from work carried out by researchers at Lincoln University