WAISS February Meeting : Small beetle, big problem!

Name: WAISS February Meeting : Small beetle, big problem!
Start: 2025-02-12T19:30:00+08:00
Location: Kings Park and Botanic Garden Admin Block

Schedule

Wed, 12 Feb, 2025 at 07:30 pm

UTC+08:00

Location

Kings Park and Botanic Garden Admin Block | Perth, WA

Katelyn Fox of DPIRD will be our guest Speaker for the meeting, to update our members on the invasive Polyphagous Shot-hole Borer (PSHB)
PSHB is a wood-boring invasive beetle that excavates tunnels in the trunks and branches of trees. PSHB introduces a Fusarium fungus into these tunnels which it cultivates as a food source. In susceptible species, the fungus causes dieback and tree death.
PSHB was detected in Western Australia in August 2021. To stop the spread of this pest, a Quarantine Area covering the entire Perth metropolitan area is in place, with requirements and restrictions on the movement of wood and plant material. PSHB has not been detected outside of the current Quarantine Area.
This talk will provide insight into the borer's biology and life cycle, potential environmental risks, susceptible tree species, the signs and symptoms to look for and how to report suspect PSHB activity. We will also cover the nationally coordinated response to the invasive pest and what is being done to stop the spread.