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Bitou bush infestation
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Bitou bush tip moth,
Comosotolopsis germana
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Bitou bush seed fly,
Mesoclanis polana
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Alternative Names: bietou,
brother berry, Higgin's curse, jungle flower, salt bush
Bitou bush, Chrysanthemoides monilifera
subspecies rotundata, is a native of southern Africa.
It is rated as the worst pest plant in the Australian coastal
environment, restricting access to beaches and destroying
native bushland.
Background
It first found its way to Australia in 1908,
dumped as ballast from ships on the banks of the Hunter River.
The species was then recognised as an effective coloniser
and was deliberately planted for soil and dune stabilisation
from 1946 - 1968 by the Soil Conservation Service of NSW along
the eastern coast of Australia. By 1982, bitou bush was found
along 60% of the NSW coast (660km) and the dominant species
along 220km of coast.
Where bitou bush invades, the native plant
community declines, leading to a decline in floral biodiversity
and changes in the diversity of birds, mammals and ground-dwelling
insects. Bitou bush also harbours pest animals like foxes
and introduced birds which disperse the seeds.
There are actually six sub species of Chrysanthemoides
monilifera in South Africa, but fortunately only two of
them occur in Australia - the other being boneseed (C.m.
monilifera).
Bitou bush currently infests coastal areas
of southern Queensland, NSW and Lord Howe Island. [Boneseed
is found in southern NSW, Victoria, south-eastern South Australia
and Tasmania].
The Project
Biological control of both species started
in in 1987 and there have been 8 biological control agents
released. For bitou bush two are well established and require
no further distribution. They are:
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The bitou bush tip moth, Comosotolopsis
germana
which feeds in stem tips destroying developing leaves,
buds and flowers and reducing seed production. It is now
widely established in the field but does suffer heavy
predation and parasitism at some sites; and
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The bitou bush seed fly, Mesoclanis
polana, which is now widely established. The larvae
feed on developing seed, causing major reduction in seed
production.
The leaf-rolling
moth, Tortrix sp. is the third biocontrol agent to
be released in Australia. This project involves a collaboration
between CSIRO Entomology and NSW Agriculture to rear, release
and evaluate the performance of the leaf-rolling moth.
Key People
Anthony Swirepik
CSIRO Entomology
GPO Box 1700
Canberra ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA
Ph: +61 2 6246 4252
Email: firstname.lastname@csiro.au
More Information
Monitoring for the
establishment of leaf rolling moth Tortrix sp. (pdf
1.08MB)
Targeting Bitou Bush (pdf
4.6MB)
Biological control of
bitou bush with the leaf-rolling moth (pdf
545kb)
Weeds Australia:
National Weeds Strategy
Pest
Plants and Animals - Department
of Sustainability and Environment
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