The establishment of a tiny South American moth as the latest weapon against an invasive weed is showing signs of success in parts of the Northern Territory.
Department of Land Resource Management Director Weed Management Branch, Geraldine Lee, said the Eueupithecia cisplatensis, or “UU” for short, is an important part of an integrated control program to impact the spread of the highly invasive weed, parkinsonia.
“The Weed Management Branch has been rearing and releasing UU over the past two years” Ms Lee said.
“Weeds Officers recently conducted a UU survey at five parkinsonia monitoring sites, with caterpillars detected by beating trees with a stick onto a sheet.”
Three main sites have so far shown success. The UU have survived both the wet and the dry season in the Adelaide River catchment, and at Newcastle Waters and Birrindudu Stations in the Barkly region.
“At least six months has passed since the last UU release at these sites, so we are confident that UU has established there.”
“We hope that these populations will continue to increase further during the next wet season,” Ms Lee said
Further releases of UU are scheduled for July and August 2015.
Native to Argentina and Paraguay, parkinsonia is a Weed of National Significance, infesting almost one million hectares in Australia.
“Parkinsonia can form impenetrable thickets along riparian areas and flood plain margins, restricting stock access to water and impeding mustering on pastoral lands as well as displacing native flora and fauna,” Ms Lee said.
“The UU biocontrol agent works by eating the parkinsonia leaves, thus weakening the shrub and leaving it susceptible to disease.”
“Once the plants become weakened, they also become more vulnerable to other control methods such as chemical use and physical removal.”
Land managers with significant stands of parkinsonia who would like to participate in the UU biocontrol program can contact the Weed Management Branch on 8999 4567, or for more information visit www.nt.gov.au/weeds.
Media Note – for more information / interviews contact Geraldine Lee, Weed Management Branch Director on 8999 4567.
