PINE aphid, a devastating pest that causes more than $20 million in lost wood production to the
softwood industry each year, is under welcome pressure from a biological control taking hold in pine growing regions across NSW.
Ongoing monitoring by Department of Primary Industries (DPI) scientists is determining how widely
established the biological control - a tiny wasp from California released here in 2009 – has become in
NSW commercial pine forests.
“To date, established populations of the biological control wasp have been found in the South West
Slopes (Tumut/Tumbarumba), Central Tablelands (Bathurst/Orange) and the Northern Tablelands
(Walcha),” said DPI Principal Research Scientist Angus Carnegie.
“It’s a very encouraging sign that we have found the biocontrol wasp has spread naturally into new
areas since its release.
“The wasp has now established in three of the five major NSW pine growing regions and is looking like
the most cost-effective long-term option for reducing the incidence of the damaging pine aphid,” he said.
“We have evidence of the wasp spreading more than 20km in a year in some instances so the process
will take time but it is happening.”
The pest Monterey Pine Aphid was first detected in Australia in 1998. Feeding by the aphid causes needles to turn yellow and prematurely defoliate, with trees over 15 years old tending to be more severely damaged.
Dr Carnegie said NSW has the largest pine plantation estate in Australia, the majority managed by
Forestry Corporation of NSW.
"This wasp lays eggs inside aphids as they feed on pine needles, ultimately taking over the aphid and
emerging weeks later and flying off in search of more aphids," he said.
“Release of essigella biological control wasp across Australia began in 2009 and included all pine
growing regions of NSW.”
Release and monitoring for establishment in NSW has been conducted by DPI Forest Health staff with
funding from Forestry Corporation of NSW.
The tiny wasp is not a species that readily stings humans and it is not harmful
to humans.
