2009: July-September-PPRI NEWS
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Plant Protection Research Institute July—September 2009 No 81 PLANT PROTECTION NEWS Newsletter of the Plant Protection Research Institute (PPRI), an institute in the Natural Inside this issue: Resources and Engineering Division of the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) Relocation of Biosyste- 1 matics Division Relocation of the Biosystematics Division Biosystematics 2-5 Insect Ecology 6 Pesticide Science 7-8 Plant Pathology and 9-12 Microbiology Weeds Research 13-15 Technology Transfer 16-17 Other news 18 Editorial Committee Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman (ed.) Hildegard Klein Almie van den Berg Ian Millar Marika van der Merwe Tanya Saayman The new Biosystematics building Petro Marais Elsa van Niekerk Lin Besaans The relocation of the staff and the National col- ARC-PPRI lections of the ARC-PPRI Biosystematics Division Biosystematics Division General Inquiries is taking place during October/November 2009. Private Bag X134 The Division comprises the National Collections Queenswood Plant Protection Research of the Arachnida, Fungi, Insects and Nematodes, 0121 Institute and more than 2 million specimens will be Private Bag X134 moved to the new premises. This will result in the Queenswood temporary disruption of their services. NEW PHYSICAL ADDRESS 0121 South Africa ARC-Roodeplaat on the Western side of the TELEPHONE NUMBERS KwaMhlanga Road (R573). e-mail: [email protected] (until new system is installed) See MAP pg 2—look out for the sign on left side Arachnids & Nematodes 012 356 9800. of the road. website: Insect & Fungi: 012 304 9560. http://www.arc.agric.za E-MAIL ADDRESSES POSTAL ADDRESS (unchanged) Unchanged. © Information may be used freely with acknowl- edgement to the source. PLANT PROTECTION NEWS No 81 Page 2 Biosystematics schedule for publishing a systematics article on plant-feeding Relocation (continued) mites occurring on Chrysanthemoides monilifera. This study will include the descriptions of new gall mite species (Acari: Eriophyoidea) from C. monilifera. This plant is indige- nous to South Africa but has become an important, invasive weed in Australia. The mite species (boneseed leaf buckle mite), which has been imported to Australia for the biological control of this weed, is one of the species to be described as new due to inaccuracies and confusion in previous descriptions of the eriophyoid mites occurring on C. monilifera. Contact: Charnie Craemer at [email protected] Packing up at Vredehuis Tom Morley sampling mites Mites and fungi on proteas Natalie Theron, an M.Sc. Student from the Department of Con- servation Ecology and Entomology in the faculty of AgriS- ciences at Stellenbosch University, and her study-leader, Dr. Francois Roets, visited the Mite Unit from 27-31 July 2009. They are interested in the fungi on proteas but, since mites can play a role in the distribution or control of fungal growth, they also visited Dr. Eddie Ueckermann who assisted with the identi- fication of the mites. Members of the Tydeidae family have an association with fungi. Three genera have been recorded for the first time from Africa; one is a new genus and, in total, seven new species will be described with Eddie as co-author. Contact: Dr Eddie Ueckermann at [email protected] Map to new Biosystematics building Mites used in the control of weeds During September, Tom Morley, a weed control scientist from the Victorian Government Department of Primary Industries, Frankston, Australia, visited Charnie Craemer of the Mite section of the Biosystematics Division. They discussed collaborative research—including procedures, material to be used, and a time Eddie Ueckermann and Natalie Theron PLANT PROTECTION NEWS No 81 Page 3 Biosystematics (continued) Green scorpions Spiders a problem at the Tshwane Fresh Produce Market Dr Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman assisted the “Green Scorpions” of GDACE to convict a Pretoria pet-shop owner for keeping and Officials at the Tshwane fresh produce market contacted ARC- selling horned baboon spiders. He eventually paid an admission Plant Protection Research Institute regarding problems with of guilt fine and the specimens were confiscated. spider-webs in some of the halls at the market. Clusters of A second case is pending, so please note that no baboon spi- webbing drape the corners of walls, and the ceiling. Since the ders listed on the Threatened and Protected Species lists webbing collects dust and dirt, it is unsightly. The webbing is (TOPS) may be kept, transported, or sold without a permit. removed annually at high cost, but with little long-term success. Ansie Dippenaar and members of her team visited the market in September to investigate. Three spider species were collected and identified: brown button spiders (Theridiidae Latrodectus geometricus); hairy field spiders (Araneidae Neoscona subfusca ) and a daddy-long-legs species (Pholcidae Crossopriza lyoni ). The latter species is the one responsible for the webbing prob- lem, and this is the first record from South Africa. It is a cosmo- politan species which occurs widely throughout the warmer parts of the world. The body is between 3-7 mm, and both sexes have extremely long legs. Controlling the spiders is difficult since the spiders escape by dropping to the ground when anything touches their web. Rec- ommendations for their control were presented to the market management committee. Contact: Dr Ansie DippenaarSchoeman at Dip- Darlingi’s horned baboon spider Photo: Les Oates [email protected] or Petro Marais at [email protected] Arachnid awareness day at the Pretoria Zoo The Spider Unit of ARC-PPRI is now working closely with the Zoological Gardens in Pretoria. Elzette du Plessis, who is in charge of the arachnids at the Zoo, initiated the first Spider Awareness Day at the Zoo on 18 July 2009. It took place on the same day as the zoo fun walk arranged by the Friends of the Zoo. Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman presented a talk on the “Wonder World of Spiders” and Mr Ederich Grieb, of the Green Scorpi- ons of GDACE, presented a talk on the illegal smuggling of animals - especially spiders - into and out of South Africa. Marli Burger (also of the Green Scorpions) assisted in answering questions from the public. Lateral view of problem species Webbing at market Elzette (organizer), Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman, Marli Burger and Ederich Grieb PLANT PROTECTION NEWS No 81 Page 4 Biosystematics (continued) The Harlequin Nobody Finds Funny — An Update Maps showing the change in distribution patterns The harlequin lady beetle (Harmonia axyridis) showing the colour variation The harlequin lady beetle, (Harmonia axyridis), originating in Additionally, it can have serious adverse impacts on wine pro- East Asia, has emerged as the most grievous invasive preda- duction; it can damage fruit crops; it can potentially disrupt exist- tory insect of the decade. It is, as a noxious invasive alien, par- ing biological control programmes; it is a household nuisance; ticularly prevalent in Europe and North America. But it is also and some people are very allergic to its secretions. Despite spreading through southern Africa, as summarised in the ac- significant international research effort, no viable management companying four maps. This species has, as a “model invader”, strategies have yet been forthcoming. The significance of this become the focal point of an international research programme invader is recognised by the South African Government in that it in which the ARC takes part. And without the tremendous con- was listed as an invasive species to be controlled as part of an tribution of the public the documentation of its spread through invasive species control programme in the Draft Alien and Inva- southern Africa would have been entirely impossible. sive Species Regulations of the National Environmental Man- agement: Biodiversity Act, gazetted on 03 April 2009. The potential untoward effects of the harlequin lady beetle can be summarised as follows. Besides preying on pestiferous ar- Riaan Stals, of the National Collection of Insects, acts as ad hoc thropods, it readily feeds on eggs and immatures of various South African representative to an international collaborative non-pest insects, including beneficial kinds and including in- group of scientists researching the invasion of the harlequin digenous and beneficial lady beetle species. The net effect is— lady beetle, and possible remediation. He collaborates with at least—that it can displace indigenous lady beetle species, several research groups in the Northern Hemisphere and, pres- with cascading effects throughout agro-ecosystems and natural ently, he is continuing with the monitoring of the spread of the ecosystems. harlequin lady beetle through southern Africa. PLANT PROTECTION NEWS No 81 Page 5 Biosystematics (continued) The Harlequin (cont.) New spider book Spiders of the Kalahari A.S. Dippenaar-Schoeman & A.M. van den Berg ISBN 978-1-86849-382-1 Plant Protection Research Institute Handbook No. 18, Agricultural Research Council, Pretoria, 116 pages. This new book, funded by Oppenheimer & Son, is in press. It contains high quality photographs of 79 spider genera/species from 40 families. It covers 39 web-dwelling taxa, and 40 ground- and plant-dwellers, as well as information on their morphology, life-cycle, role in nature, where to find them, their special adapta- tions to the Kalahari, and a species list. The book contains more than 260 colour photographs. The layout was done by Elsa van Niekerk. The book will be released in November. For more information please contact: Ansie Dippenaar- Schoeman at [email protected]) Colourful display Recognising the harlequin In southern Africa there are more than 300 different species of lady beetles, but the ‘harlequin’ can rather easily be distin- guished from all the others on the grounds of its light-coloured or white “ears” (actually the sides of the neck shield, or prono- tum), in combination with a black “W” [or “M” from the other side] in the middle of the neck shield. This “W” may some- times be broken up into separate black markings, or it may be filled in with black at times, but this combination of character- istics is unique among all lady beetles found in southern Af- rica.