Oemona hirta, tree borer

Dominic Eyre Plant health consultancy team, Fera, York, UK

Female O. hirta are 14-31 mm long Inrtoduction

• Oemona hirta is Cerambycid from with a broad host range • The UK suggested this species as a candidate for and EPPO PRA because it had been found at UK nurseries in imported plants in 2010 • An EPPO pest risk assessment was drafted in June 2012 Native range of Oemona hirta

It is not known to be established anywhere outside New Zealand

The shape files for the Crosby zones were supplied by Landcare Research, NZ

Red dots = point locations where beetle has been recorded Orange crosby zones (regions) indicate zones in which beetle has been recorded Oemona hirta hosts introduction

• Extremely polyphagous – over 250 recorded hosts, new hosts are being reported all the time • Original hosts were native plants in New Zealand • Has now widened host range to include many species that have been introduced into NZ • Most hosts are trees (mainly deciduous) and shrubs, but also some vines or lianes and some large perennial herbaceous plants with large stems e.g. Asparagus Hosts on which damage has been reported relatively frequently

• Citrus spp. • persimmon ( ) • grapevine ( ) • ( Malus sp. ) • poplar ( Populus spp.) • gorse ( Ulex europaeus ) Species that are damaged infrequently

• Trees grown for fruit and nuts: Prunus , Vaccinium, Castanea , Corylus, Pyrus and Juglans • Other species: Cytisus scoparius, Acacia, Abies, Pinus, Chamaecyparis, Cryptomeria, Cupressus, Sequoia, Euonymus, Quercus, Paulownia, Alnus, Eucalyptus, Platanus, Podocarpus and Ulmus Lifecycle

• At least 2 years in field; 6-10 months in lab • eggs laid at junctions generally on twigs • after hatching the larvae, bores into the wood, tends to bore towards the main stem • first year – damage twig • second year – damage branches • Pupates in ‘cell’ for 2-3 weeks • Adults sexually mature after 4-10 days and live for 30-50 days Lifecycle

• larvae eject frass from side of twigs or branches approx every 6-7cm

Clearwater (1981) DSIR information series 105/33 Slide from Prof. Qiao Wang, New Zealand Infestation sites

• Eggs can be laid on untreated pruning scars • Normally attacks trees with a trunk diameter of less than 15cm • In branches with a diameter of 10-15 cm, larvae will only be found in the outer sapwood • Normally attacks living wood, but can survive in cut wood if humidity high enough, but would probably not complete development Damage in New Zealand

Branches and stems of various exotic woody plants, particularly citrus, persimmon, apple, grape, poplar, etc.

Slide from Prof. Qiao Wang, New Zealand Major damage in NZ

• Citrus in Gisborne and Northland • Apple in Hamilton • Grapevines in Hawkes Bay • Poplars in all these areas

Slide from Prof. Qiao Wang, New Zealand Management

Parasitoids of O. hirta in NZ:

Xanthocryptus Campoplex sp. Apsicoplus hudsoni novozealandicus (Hymenoptera: (Hymenoptera: (Hymenoptera: ) - Braconidae) Ichneumonidae) Gisborne Slide from Prof. Qiao Wang, New Zealand Parasitism rate of LTB larvae in sprayed and unsprayed orchards

35 30 Sprayed 25 20 Unsprayed 15 10

ParasitismParasitism raterate5 (%) (%) 0 Xan Cam Aps Parasitoid species

Campoplex sp. and A. hudsoni consume early to middle instar host larvae and X. novozealandicus attacks late instar larvae or pre-pupae Slide from Prof. Qiao Wang, New Zealand Management in New Zealand

• Pruning and painting

• Injection

• Nematodes

• Spray for control of other pests

• Biological control using ?

Slide from Prof.Qiao Wang, New Zealand Interceptions in UK – three interceptions all on from New Zealand

• 1983 – one live larva • June 2010 – larvae in several Wisteria stocks at one nursery • July 2010 – one larva in Wisteria stocks received from the same nursery Wisteria from 2010 2010 Wisteria in UK

All consignments re-inspected 10 % of all Wisteria were destructively sampled Climatic comparison: Day degree totals in excess of 10 °C Draft conclusions of EPPO pest risk assessment

• Probability of entry moderate • Probability of establishment high • Area of establishment would include atleast part of every EPPO country • Citrus growing areas are at greatest risk • Environmental impact moderate because not expected to kill plants over large areas Pest risk management measures proposed

Plants for planting (except seeds) of woody dicotyledons from New Zealand should only be imported if: • Produced at pest -free production site under protected conditions OR • The plants are held under post-entry quarantine Acknowledgements

• Fabienne Grousset – Consultant for EPPO who prepared the draft PRA •Muriel Suffert – EPPO Secretariat • Hannes Krehan, Austria •Panagiotis Milonas, Greece •Dirkjan van der Gaag, Netherlands •John Bain, New Zealand •Qiao Wang, New Zealand • Christian Cocquempot (INRA,France) • Matteo Maspero (Fondazione Minoproprio, Vertemate con Minoprio, Italy)

• Fera Plant health and seed inspectors •Fera diagnostic entomologists