PINE TREE PEST

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4462, 7 June 1930, Page 1

PINE TREE PEST

LIBERATION OF ENEMIES. Tin; statement that an imported pine tree post, commonly known ns I lie Oregon saw fly, was spreading in New Zealand, was referred to ill is week’ liv Mr. N. CL (dribble, a member of (he Forest Biological Research iCommittee, who said the posl was apparently identical with Ihe si rex or horntnil borer which a I lacks pine trees and larch in New Zealand (lays the Auckland Her-

ald). In repjy to a statement made recently to the effect that the pest had no known natural enemy in tiie Dominion, Mr. (Tribble said that the research stilt ion of the Forest Biological Research Committee had been working on remedies for the pesl during the past two years, and had already imported and liberated a natural enemy, the rhyssft persuasoria. If was hoped to liberate further numbers of the parasite during the coming season, and also to commence work with another insect, ibalia eneospoides, which would counteract any danger of general infection.

It was reported recently that a •lumber of pine trees had been killed by the pest ill (Ikoia last year, and that the? male of the species had been forwarded to the Wanganui Museum from Wavcrlev. The curator of the Wanganui Museum, Mr. (I. Shepherd, a prominent authority on insect study, recently stated that if the pest became numerous it was hound to do a certain amount of damage. There were several birds in the older countries which were enemies of the pest, but in New Zealand he did not know of any. ft would seem that the pest w;is becoming fairly widespread judging bv the localities from which the specimens came.