Clarifying the Pest Status of Some Exotic Termite Species for New Zealand

PLANTS AND ENVIRONMENT Clarifying the pest status of some exotic termite species for New Zealand Exotic termites of pest significance pose a a great deal of attention given to termites The national pest status of the termite risk to New Zealand’s biosecurity and our as a taxonomic group generally in species from the time when all cases nation’s trade if they become established. New Zealand, perhaps owing to our very have been eradicated can be considered New Zealand has experience of exotic small native fauna. There has also been as “absent: eradicated” (IPPC 2017b). termites arriving here via imported little discussion of exotic species in the With this in mind, we can review the commodities and other pathways. New Zealand context. What publications known detections of C. acinaciformis, Fortunately the vast majority of these do exist have been rather sporadic, C. frenchi and C. brevis in New Zealand arrivals have either been dealt with at our resulting in long periods of time during and consider the eradication measures borders or, if found within our borders, which the status of some exotic species undertaken and outcomes achieved to they have been contained, treated may not have been clear. Further, there date for these species. and eradicated. has been a lack of published information regarding any detections of exotic Coptotermes acinaciformis Only three exotic termite species are termites and actions undertaken by considered to have become established and Coptotermes frenchi agencies that hold this information in New Zealand – Kalotermes Bain & Jenkin (1983) reviewed a range of (i.e., MPI and its predecessors). On top banksiae and Glyptotermes brevicornis exotic termite species for New Zealand, of all this, confusion arises from the (Kalotermitidae), and Porotermes including C. acinaciformis and C. frenchi. use of different terms, definitions, or adamsoni (Stolotermitidae), evidenced The terms they saw as best applying interpretations of terms, by different by repeated collections over time to records of exotic termite species authors and agencies. from local-origin host material. While were “established”, “recorded from” none of these established species The field of invasion biology has created and “intercepted”. They considered are considered of great economic many terms to describe the status of an both C. acinaciformis and C. frenchi significance, other exotic termite species organism in a particular geographic area, to be “established”, which they defined found within New Zealand’s borders both fundamentally (i.e., is it present as meaning that there was “evidence certainly are significant pests. Of these, or absent) as well as the nature of any of these species spreading from host the most important are the Australian presence. MPI developed operational material in which they were not subterranean termites Coptotermes protocols for responding to detections imported”. The designation “established” acinaciformis and Coptotermes frenchi of Coptotermes, which have used the was based on known activity of the two (Rhinotermitidae), and the West Indian term “eliminated” to designate the stage species in New Zealand at the time: drywood termite Cryptotermes brevis of operational activities when all known C. acinaciformis was still active at one (Kalotermitidae). Owing to the economic activity of the termite at a location had site in Te Puke and another in Auckland, significance of these three species, ceased, and this was evidenced by a and C. frenchi was still active at one site whenever they have been found in series of consecutive inspections that in Hamilton and another in Auckland. It New Zealand the response objective has found no activity. Previously MPI only is important to note that these locations been total eradication. used the term “eradicated” at the end were under treatment at the time, and of a subsequent period of continued that Bain & Jenkin (1983) also reported Here we provide a summary of the surveillance at the location, in most cases other locations of historical activity detections of these species, present up- up to 5 years after all termite activity for both species where they had been to-date information on the eradication actually ceased. successfully eradicated. measures that have been undertaken in response to them, and propose The International Plant Protection In the more than 20 years since, that the status of all three species for Convention (IPPC) International further detections were made of both New Zealand can be considered “absent: Standards for Phytosanitary Measures C. acinaciformis and C. frenchi in eradicated”. (IPPC 2017a,b) define specific terms New Zealand (MPI, unpublished data). and pest status categories. The IPPC All detections, both prior and subsequent The need for clarification does not use the term “eliminated”, but to Bain & Jenkin (1983), have been It is crucial to be clear about which IPPC (2017a) does define “eradication” treated by relevant government agencies, species are established and which as “application of phytosanitary and official programmes continued are not. There has been some measures to eliminate a pest from an through the 1980s and 1990s to eradicate confusion regarding the presence or area [formerly eradicate]”. Thus it is them. Eventually in 2005 both species absence in New Zealand of the three clear that “eradication” and “eradicated” were officially declared to be “eradicated” exotic termite species Coptotermes mean the same thing as “eliminate” and following a period of surveillance after acinaciformis and Coptotermes frenchi “eliminated”. Therefore we propose to activity had actually ceased (Ross, (Rhinotermitidae), and Cryptotermes use the term “eradicated” rather than 2005a,b). It is important to revisit our brevis (Kalotermitidae). This stems from “eliminated” wherever the activity of an earlier comments about the terms used a number of factors. There has not been exotic termite is deemed to have ceased. at the time by MPI’s predecessor, the 30 Surveillance 45 (2) 2018 Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry C. frenchi had “possibly been eliminated live C. brevis. The official eradication (MAF), which used the term “eliminated” from New Zealand” because the species programme involved removal of wooden rather than “eradicated” when all had been under active management items from the house for fumigation, Coptotermes activity actually ceased in at the time of Bain & Jenkin (1983), and an entire house-fumigation using 2001 (Ross, 2005a). We proposed that and had not been mentioned from sulphuryl fluoride, in October 2011. it was at this point that eradication, as New Zealand sources since. Indeed, MPI is still conducting extended post- per the IPPC (2017a) definition, was no new detections have been made of eradication surveillance for C. brevis, actually achieved. Following this, MAF C. frenchi in New Zealand since 1998 similar to the eradication protocols ran a surveillance programme until (MPI, unpublished data). for Coptotermes but in this case for 2005, during which no further termite 10 years. MPI therefore expects to end Despite the successful eradication again activity was found. response activities for C. brevis by 2021. of C. acinaciformis from known sites in To date there has been no activity of After the widespread efforts up to 2001 to New Zealand by April 2008, still more C. brevis found since 2011. We therefore eradicate Coptotermes from New Zealand, detections of this species have been made conclude that this species should also two new detections of C. acinaciformis in subsequent years. The location, date of be considered “absent: eradicated” were made in January 2006 at Richmond detection, date of eradication, and actual from New Zealand. (near Nelson), and in January 2007 at or proposed end of surveillance for these Coatesville (near Auckland) (Ross, 2006; recent responses to C. acinaciformis are Summary Pearson & Bennett 2008; Philip et al., shown in Table 1. At the time of their It is clear that Coptotermes acinaciformis, 2008). As before, official eradication detection all these could be considered Coptotermes frenchi and Cryptotermes programmes were implemented for as fitting with the IPPC definition of brevis have been found in New Zealand both locations. Eradication (as per IPPC “establishment”: “perpetuation, for in the past, and that many of these finds definition) was quickly achieved at the foreseeable future, of a pest within could have been justifiably considered both locations, with all activity having an area after entry” (IPPC, 2017a). as an “establishment” (as defined by ceased at Richmond by June 2007 and However, at present they are all at a stage IPPC) at the locations where they were Coatesville by April 2008 (Pearson & where they should be considered to be found. However, MPI has implemented Bennett, 2008). MacFarlane et al. (2010) eradicated (as per IPPC definition). Five measures to eradicate all detections of included both Coptotermes species in locations are still under post-eradication these species and there is no evidence their contribution to the New Zealand surveillance. of any activity by any of them in Inventory of Biodiversity as “adventive New Zealand at present. Also, these (naturalised alien)”. The inclusion of Cryptotermes brevis species have never been found without a C. acinaciformis can be understood, Cryptotermes brevis (Kalotermitidae) is direct association or link with imported considering that MAF continued to not included in any of the publications timbers. For example, all incursions

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