Biocontrol introduction
Target pest: Lantana camara (Lamiales: Verbenaceae), lantana
Agent introduced: Prospodium tuberculatum (Pucciniales: Uropyxidaceae), lantana leaf rust
Imported:
2013 (two importations); 2014
Import source:
Northland Regional Council (2011) - Brazil via UK via Australia
Import notes:
Landcare Research (2015e) - first 2013 importation contaminated, second rendered non-viable at 4°C; spring 2014 importation successful.
Released:
2015
Release details:
Landcare Research (2015j, 2016j) - 7 releases in autumn 2015 in Northland and Bay of Plenty.
Establishment:
Landcare Research (2016i) - believed to have established at several release sites in Northland.
Landcare Research (2016j) - August 2016; established at Whangaroa, Cable Bay and Kohukohu sites in Northland.
Impacts on target:
Landcare Research (2016j) - August 2016; some lantana plants heavily defoliated by the leaf rust at Whangaroa, Cable Bay and Kohukohu sites in Northland.
Landcare Research (2020f) - in Northland, lantana loses 50-60% of its leaves every winter due to infection by P. tuberculatum.
Impacts on non-targets:
Northland Regional Council (2011) - the P. tuberculatum isolate named in this application was selected over others because it was the only isolate that was found to be pathogenic to L. camara biotypes additional to the one from which it was isolated, though could only infect some populations of the target in laboratory tests. Thus P. tuberculatum appears specific to L. camara; it is highly unlikely that it could infect plants from outside the family Verbenaceae. New Zealand has no native species in this family. Host range tests conducted in Australia on 11 New Zealand plant species or their surrogates proved negative. It is concluded P. tuberculatum poses no significant risk to non-target plants in New Zealand. Prospodium tuberculatum was released in Australia in 2001 and has not been found there on any non-target plants since.
EPA Applications:
EPA (2012a) - 9 Dec 2011: application by Northland Regional Council to release two rust fungi; Puccinia lantanae and Prospodium tuberculatum, as biological control agents for the weed Lantana camara. EPA Application # APP201171, approved without controls 27 Apr 2012.
References
EPA (2012a). EPA application APP201171: to import and release isolates of two rust fungi, Puccinia lantanae and Prospodium tuberculatum, as biological control agents for the weed Lantana camara. Environmental Protection Authority website https://www.epa.govt.nz/database-search/hsno-application-register/view/APP201171
Landcare Research (2015e). Lantana rust releases to begin. What's new in biological control of weeds? 71: 5 http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/publications/newsletters/biological-control-of-weeds/issue-71
Landcare Research (2015j). Biocontrol agents released in 2014/15. Weed Biocontrol: What's New? 73: 2 http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/publications/newsletters/biological-control-of-weeds/issue-73
Landcare Research (2016i). Who's who in biological control of weeds? Weed Biocontrol: What's New? 77: 10-11 http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/publications/newsletters/biological-control-of-weeds/issue-77
Landcare Research (2016j). Lantana leaf rust off to great start Weed Biocontrol: What's New? 78: 4 http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/128858/Issue-78.pdf
Landcare Research (2020f). Buddliea be gone! Weed Biocontrol: What's New? 93, Aug 2020 https://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/publications/weed-biocontrol/weed-biocontrol-articles/buddleia-be-gone/
Northland Regional Council (2011). Application to EPA (APP201171) to import and release isolates of two rust fungi, Puccinia lantanae and Prospodium tuberculatum, as biological control agents for the weed Lantana camara. Environmental Protection Authority website https://www.epa.govt.nz/assets/FileAPI/hsno-ar/APP201171/ec98cc022c/APP201171-APP201171-Application.pdf
