Insect control in waxflower

Page last updated: Friday, 9 December 2016 - 1:52pm

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The presence of insects in flower crops can result in feeding damage to flowers, leaves and stems or cause galls to form. Insects can increase disease incidence, for example the exudates from scale insects promote fungal growth.

Waxflower is attractive to a variety of native insects as a source of nectar. Many native insects coexist with flowers but waxflower may also be attractive to exotic insects from nearby crops. These insects may not cause damage but if present in overseas consignments they can pose a quarantine risk in countries such as Japan and USA.

Insects found

The native insects (arthropods) found on waxflowers belong to at least nine orders and include insects and spiders (Table 1).

By far the most common insect is thrips with seven species identified. The next most common are beetles, followed by bugs and other insects.

Table 1 Examples of insects found in waxflowers
Name Example
Thrips

Plague and eucalyptus thrips

Beetles, weevils

Flower beetle, nectar scarab beetle, jewel beetle

Bugs

Aphids, leaf hoppers, shield bugs, lace bugs

Ants, wasps

Ants, gall wasps, bees

Moths

Leaf tip webbing larvae

Lace wings

Green lacewings

Book lice

Book louse

Spiders

Sac and comb footed spider

Insects affect flowers in four ways:

  • They can kill plants. For example, the ring barking weevil girdles plants just below the soil surface (Figures 1, 2 and 3).
  • They can chew and damage flowers. Beetle larvae will eat the surface and scar flower receptacles.
  • They chew and damage stems and leaves. For example, the webbing moth leaf tipping larvae chews out leaf tips causing branching (Figure 4a–c), the longicorn beetle hollows out the stems causing them to die, and gall wasps cause swelling and distortion of stems and leaves.
  • They can pose quarantine risk simply by their presence on flowers at certain export destinations. Gall wasps (Figure 5) form a gall announcing insect activity and this can pose a quarantine risk. The flower beetle can be present during the whole flowering season while other insects appear en masse at certain times. For example, the flower scarab beetle appears in early October in Western Australia. Different control strategies are required for each of these beetles.

Ring barking weevil larvae in waxflower stem
Figure 1 Ring barking weevil larvae in waxflower stem
Ring barking weevil damage on a waxflower stem at ground level
Figure 2 Ring barking weevil damage on a waxflower stem at ground level

  

Figure 3 Ring barking weevil damage in Chamelaucium ciliatum - plant dying from effects of ring barking
Figure 3 Ring barking weevil damage in Chamelaucium ciliatum showing plant dying from effects

   

Leaf tip webbing moth sticks leaves together
Figure 4a Leaves stuck together by leaf tip webbing moth
Larvae hatch from leaf cocoons
Figure 4b Larvae hatch from leaf cocoons and begin feeding
Dying leaves caused by larvae
Figure 4c Dying leaves caused by leaf tip webbing moth larvae
Gall wasp damage on waxflower
Figure 5 Gall wasp damage on waxflower

Contact information

Bill Woods
+61 (0)8 9368 3962

Authors

Kevin Seaton
Bill Woods