News 49N Editorial The News Section of BNI has developed an BNI News in their own information to this easy access yourself. Subscribers to international reputation as a source of the readers, and this helps to fulfil our purpose. BNI, or individuals in institutions with a latest information, comment and analysis For this reason we are delighted to subscription have, of course, free access to on key issues in biological control, ranging announce that the News Section of the the entire journal, including the review arti- from biotechnology to biological control journal Biocontrol News and Information safety to the role of farmers in biological will be available free of charge on the cles and abstracts. BNI can be found on the control research. Many regional newslet- Internet, via PEST CABWeb, from the ‘Web’ at http://pest.cabweb.org/. ters of biological control and plant March 1999 issue. We hope you will tell protection organizations quote items from your colleagues of this, and make use of General News Brighter Future for The wasp was first released in 1994 and spread establishment of the parasitoid in the Conifer Forests 1995 at Kamae and Keriita forests in west of the country has raised hopes that Kiambu District, in the Central Highlands populations of the aphid and hence damage There are signs of progress in classical bio- of Kenya. But initial post-release surveys to trees could soon be significantly logical control programmes against two suggested that the parasitoid showed very reduced, so cypress may once again major conifer sap-sucking pests in the New poor signs of establishment and it seemed become a popular amenity and commercial and Old Worlds. then as thought the attempted introductions tree. Pauesia in East Africa... had been a failure. There may be yet more good news, this Since its invasion of East Africa in the early This seemed to differ from the story time from Uganda, where P. juniperorum 1990s, the cypress aphid (Cinara sp. nov.) emerging in Malawi. Pauesia juniperorum wasalsoreleasedinthemid1990s.FORI has become a major pest of cypresses and was also released there by FRIM (Forest (the Ugandan Forest Research Institute) has pencil cedar, which are among the most Research Institute of Malawi) in 1994 and recently reported that an aphidiine has been important tree species of economic value in 1995, where it established successfully [see found attacking the cypress aphid close to Kenya. This has led to large losses. KEFRI BNI 18(2), 23N]. The parasitoid has now the release sites, but the identity of the spe- (the Kenya Forestry Research Institute) dispersed over much of the central and cies needs to be confirmed. report that some 10% of trees attacked by southern part of the country, and studies by Contact: Dr Paul K. A. Konuche, Director, the aphids have died, and it is estimated that FRIM at Dedza in central Malawi indicate KEFRI, PO Box 20412, Nairobi, Kenya surviving trees have suffered a 20% annual that the parasitoid is controlling the popula- Email: [email protected] loss in growth increment. tion growth of the aphid. Fax: +254 154 32844 As a consequence, there has been a loss of But in mid January 1999, KEFRI scientists Sean Murphy, CABI Bioscience, interest in the planting and management of found parasitized aphids at Londiani on the Silwood Park, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, cypress trees for hedging and farm forestry other side of the Rift Valley in Kenya, some SL5 7TA, UK and in the development of large-scale 250 km away from the release sites. The Email: [email protected] plantations. parasitoid responsible has since been con- Fax: +44 1491 829123 Following the outbreak of the cypress aphid firmed as P. juniperorum, and it has now …And Pseudoscymnus in the USA inKenyain1991,KEFRIandtheIIBC been found to be established over an exten- Kenya Station (now CABI Africa Regional sive area, from North Molo forest, through The hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges Centre) began a research programme, with Londiani, Timboroa and Nabkoi forests tsugae) is native to Japan, and was first financial support from CIDA (the Canadian and towards Eldoret. The puzzle is how the recorded in the USA from Virginia in 1951. International Development Agency), FAO wasp got there. At the moment, the best Since then, it has become a serious pest of (the Food and Agriculture Organization of explanation is that it was blown by the wind eastern hemlock and Carolina hemlock in the UN) and the Overseas Development across the Rift, and was able to become the eastern USA. Hemlock stands are Agency (ODA – now the UK Department established in this cooler part of the among the only old growth forests in this for International Development) to find an country. KEFRI scientists are very encour- part of the USA, and are of enormous envi- effective classical biological control solu- aged by this spread, and will carry out ronmental importance. However, although tion for the pest. After extensive surveys to determine its distribution in hemlocks in nurseries and most ornamental exploration in the Americas, Europe and other cypress-growing areas. They are also plantings can be protected by cultural and North Africa, and laboratory studies on nat- planning to carry out mass rearing of the chemical control practices, these are inap- ural enemies recovered from these surveys, parasitoid for releases around Mount propriate for forests and heavily wooded an aphidiine parasitoid, Pauesia juniper- Kenya and other major cypress growing ornamental landscapes, and native natural orum, from western Europe was identified areas where the parasitoid may not yet have enemies are ineffective against the intro- to be the most promising candidate. established. The discovery of the wide- duced pest. Are we on your mailing list? BiocontrolNews and Information is always pleased to receive news of research, conferences, new products or patents, changes in personnel, collaborative agreements or any other information of interest to other readers. If your organization sends out press releases or newsletters, please let us have a copy. In addition, the editors welcome proposals for review topics. 50N BiocontrolNews and Information 1999 Vol. 20 No. 2 ExplorationintheFarEastbyMark states in the eastern United States in 1999 Biological Control McClure of the Connecticut Agricultural according to the protocol developed by Following investigations in southern USA, Experiment Station led in 1992 to the dis- McClure and Cheah. Mexico, and Central America between covery in Japan of a ladybird the size of a Source:McClure,M.S.;Cheah,C.A.S.-J. 1983 and 1986, three insect species were poppy seed, subsequently named Pseudo- (1998) Frontiers of Plant Science,Spring imported for host specificity testing. These scymnus tsugae, which has shown great 1998, pp. 6-8. are the mirid Rhinacloa callicrates and the potential as a biological control agent. Fol- bruchids Mimosestes ulkei and Penthobru- lowing host specificity studies, which Contact: Mark McClure, Connecticut chus germaini. demonstrated that it was a specific adelgid Agricultural Experiment Station, predator, the ladybird was permitted to be Valley Laboratory, 153 Cook Hill Rd., Rhinacloa callicrates, which stunts or kills imported into the USA in 1994. Since then, P. O. Box 248, Windsor, CT 06095, USA developing leaf and flower buds, was a mass rearing method has been developed Email: [email protected] approved for release in 1989. It has become that has resulted in more than 200,000 bee- Fax: +1 860 683 4987 established in Queensland but does no tles being reared for laboratory and field useful damage to the weed. Despite a experiments (from a starting colony of 50), number of releases it failed to establish in and by this summer most of them will have either the Kimberley or the Northern Terri- been released in hemlock forests throughout Parkinsonia Problem tory. Mimosestes ulkei, a seed feeding the eastern United States. New Jersey Receding? bruchid, has been released in Queensland, Department of Agriculture is also now the Northern Territory and Western Aus- rearing large numbers of the beetle in coop- In the last issue we dealt with biological tralia. It has established in Queensland and eration with McClure. control programmes against mesquite and the Northern Territory but seed infestation mimosa in Australia [BNI 20(1), 5N-7N]. rates are low. Penthobruchus germaini, The results of the studies by McClure and Here we deal with initiatives against a third another seed feeding bruchid, has been Carole Cheah have shown that P. tsugae leguminous shrubby weed. released in all states and has established feeds on all life stages of the adelgid, and its readily and spread rapidly. In the Territory Parkinsonia aculeata (parkinsonia) is a life cycle is well-synchronized with that of it is established throughout the Barkly woody, thorny shrub or small tree. It can its prey. Using yellow sticky traps and Tablelands, Gulf and Victoria River dis- form dense thickets, making areas inacces- direct sampling, it was demonstrated that tricts. It has spread up to 200 km from sible for man or animals, preventing access adult P. tsugae actively explore branches release sites and destroys up to 74% of to water, hindering mustering, and shading for adelgids and move off release trees into seeds. It is established through southwest, out valuable pastures1. It is native to hot the surrounding forest to find prey. Surveys central and northern Queensland where it and dry regions between southwestern in the springs of the following years destroys up to 99.7% of seed. showed that the introduced predator was USA and Argentina. Parkinsonia has been able to survive, both through the extremely introduced into and now grows in Cali- Official release programmes have ceased in cold and snowy winter of 1995-96 and the fornia, Florida, Hawaii, the Galapagos all states and landowners now distribute P.