Pheromones Prove Gorse Moths (The Good Guys) Are Here
Using biological controls is one of the environmentally safer ways of curbing the widespread and aggressive weeds that
cost New Zealand so much.
One of these controls is the gorse soft shoot moth (Agonopterix ulicetella Stainton), released by Landcare Research in
mid-Canterbury in 1997. The moth caterpillars carry out the biocontrol by eating gorse shoots. It has already proved its
worth as a successful biocontrol agent in Hawaii. But until recently there was no practical means of detecting if the
moth had established here.
HortResearch insect scientist Max Suckling and his team undertook to identify a sex attractant to use in insect
pheromone sticky traps. First time round they caught 10 moths. "By getting the moths to come to us we were able to prove
that they had successfully established," Dr Suckling said.
HortResearch designed the lures and contacted a Hungarian researcher to make a wide range of possible attractants. These
were sent to Hawaii where USDA researchers tested them, and the 10 most successful lures were then tested in Canterbury.
The Landcare Research gorse biocontrol programme is co-operative between most regional councils, several forestry
companies and DOC.
Landcare's Hugh Gourlay said, "We now plan to deploy pheromone traps at 50 sites throughout New Zealand where we have
released the gorse soft shoot moth, but where we have been unable to tell if it has established."
This work is being presented at the 53rd New Zealand Plant Protection Conference in Christchurch August 8 - 10. The
paper is also available at http://www.hortnet.cri.nz\publications\nzpps