MEDIA RELEASE

Lace bug decision welcomed

For immediate release: Thursday 17 September 2009

Environment Bay of Plenty has welcomed ERMA’s decision to allow the lace bug to be imported into New Zealand as a biological control agent for woolly nightshade.

The regional council made the application to ERMA as a representative of the national Biocontrol Collective, which is made up of regional councils, unitary authorities and the Department of Conservation, working together with Landcare Research.

“Managing woolly nightshade has been the Bay of Plenty region’s most costly weed control programme. As a regional council, we have spent $2 million during the past 18 years in a bid to control this invasive plant,” Environment Bay of Plenty Chairman John Cronin said.

“We are hopeful that the lace bug will assist in control of woolly nightshade and help reduce the plant’s vigour.”

Environment Bay of Plenty commissioned an independent cultural impact assessment report as part of the application process.

The lace bug, which like woolly nightshade is a native of Brazil, was released in South Africa in 1999 and has caused massive defoliation of woolly nightshade at one of the original release sites and has not damaged any other species of plant. The New Zealand natives from the same genus, the two poroporo species and the small-flowered nightshade, were tested in South Africa and were not attacked or damaged by the lace bug.  All of the cropping Solanums, such as potato, tomato and tamarillo, were also tested.

Environment Bay of Plenty Senior Pest Plant Officer John Mather said the lace bug will feed on the woolly nightshade leaves and stunt its growth by reducing its ability to photosynthesise.

“This means the plant will put its energy into simply staying alive and won’t have as much power to produce fruit. The fruit have seeds that are easily dispersed by birds. The lace bug will hopefully be a big help in reducing the density of infestations in forestry and scrubby blocks of land, many of which are close to Tauranga,” Mr Mather said.

The Regional Pest Management Strategy is currently under review.  It is likely that landowners will still be required to control woolly nightshade within specified areas of the region.

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