Current understanding of the biology of<i>Thaumastocoris peregrinus</i>in the quest for a management strategy

Abstract

Abstract Thaumastocoris peregrinus is a serious insect pest of Southern African and South American Eucalyptus plantations. Native to Australia, T. peregrinus was initially discovered infesting street, garden and amenity eucalypts in Sydney. With a host range of over 30 Eucalyptus species and hybrids this pest became established concurrently in both South Africa and Argentina, and has since spread at an extraordinary rate to neighbouring countries. In its native range T. peregrinus is distributed across several climatic regions in Australia. Basic biological data have been obtained on T. peregrinus although progress has been limited by culturing difficulties in the laboratory. Monitoring of T. peregrinus populations has been conducted at the individual tree, tree stand and regional levels to understand the population dynamics of the pest. Chemical control is effective in controlling T. peregrinus in an urban setting, however, biological control using Cleruchoides noackae is presently the main focus of control efforts at the international level. Three new species of Thaumastocoris have been identified as potential pests, based on their geographical distribution and host range. Research into further understanding the biology of T. peregrinus and identifying other potential biological control agents is crucial for the management of present and future Thaumastocoris infestations. Keywords: biological control Cleruchoides noackae COIdistribution Eucalyptus invasive speciestaxonomyThaumastocoridae Acknowledgements Dr Simon Lawson, Dr Marnie Light, Prof. Bernard Slippers and Prof. Mike Wingfield are thanked for their comments on the manuscript. Dr Ilaria Germishuizen is thanked for her assistance in producing the Thaumastocoris peregrinus distribution maps. Ryan Nadel would like to thank the members of the Tree Protection Co-operative Programme (TPCP), the Department of Trade and Industry THRIP programme and the National Research Foundation (NRF) for financial support and Prof. Bernard Slippers, Prof. Mike Wingfield and Prof. Mary Scholes for their role in supervising his Ph.D. study on T. peregrinus. Annie Noack gratefully acknowledges the financial support of The Christian Rowe Thornett Postgraduate Scholarship during her Ph.D. study and the guidance of her supervisors Dr Harley Rose, Prof. Gerry Cassis and Dr Dave Britton.