APP203667: to import and release the moth plant beetle ( Freudeita - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

APP203667: to import and release the moth plant beetle (Freudeita confer cupripennis) as a biological control agent for moth plant (Araujia hortorum).

May 2019

The application 2

• Waikato Regional Council
• The EPA received 53 submissions:
• 23 support,
• 4 neither supported nor opposed, and
• 26 opposed the application.

Seven submitters indicated they wish to present their submissions at a hearing.

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Freudeita cf. cupripennis Moth plant beetle Araujia hortorum Moth plant

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Moth plant

• Native to South America
• invasive weed
• Introduced in 1880s
• Poisonous
• Various habitats
• Intolerant to frost
• No quantitative data

Moth plant observation

Risk/Benefits assessment

• We assessed the risks and benefits of bringing the moth plant beetle into

New Zealand, assuming the successful establishment of self-sustaining populations.

• We assessed the risks and benefits to:
• the environment,
• market economy,
• people and communities,
• public health, and
• Māori and their relationship with the environment.

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Environment

• Reduced use of herbicides:
• Only small quantity
• Broad spectrum herbicides used to control other weeds
• Improved biodiversity:
• Emergence and establishment of native plants
• Reduce seedling
• Access hard to reach populations
• Increase time allocated to control other weeds
• Reduce adverse impact on insects

 We concluded that moth plant beetle could have significant environmental benefits.

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Benefits

Economy

• Reduce the cost to control moth plant
• Difficult to determine
• Vary according to the status of the weed and the degree of

infestation

• Reduce impact on orchards
• Increase biodiversity and conservation values

 We concluded that the introduction of the BCA would have a negligible economic impact.

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Benefits

Public health

• Reduced contact with poisonous plant
• Decreased infestation of new areas

 We assessed that the decrease of moth plant populations is likely to have a low impact as human exposure to the noxious weed remains rare.

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Benefits

People and communities

• Require time and effort
• Reduce the enjoyment of the natural environment
• Demotivate volunteers

 We concluded that the level of benefits to the community would be low.

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Benefits

Environment

• Impact on native plants:
• Parsonsia, 3 native species
• 2 included in the host-range testing
• Effect on food-webs:
• No specialist moth plant feeding insects
• New source of food
• Hybridisation

 We concluded that the release of the BCA would have a negligible impact on the environment.

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Risks

Economy 11

• Impact on exotic ornamental plants:
• Reduce value to the nursery industry
• Tweedia targeted by moth plant beetle
• No high economic value, not widely grown
• Protect with pesticides

 The overall level of risks on New Zealand’s market economy is negligible.

Risks

People and communities

• Loss of enjoyment for the public
• Reduction of food for monarch butterfly (Tweedia)

 The overall level of risks on people and communities from the release of

• F. cf. cupripennis is assessed to be negligible.

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Risks

Keys areas Conclusion

Benefits

Environment Significant Economy Negligible Public health Low People and communities Low

Risks

Environment Negligible Economy Negligible People and communities Negligible

Summary of our assessment 13

Relationship of Māori to the Environment

• Kaupāpa Kura Taiao considered that the application provides sufficient information
• The release of F. cf. cupripennis is likely to be acceptable in terms of Māori

cultural beliefs and environmental frameworks.

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• The biological control agent meets the minimum standards.

Minimum standards

15 Recommendation

Our assessment has found that the benefits of releasing Freudeita cf cupripennis outweigh any identified risks or costs. We therefore recommend that the application be approved.

For more information contact:

General enquiries Phone +64 4 916 2426 Fax +64 4 914 0433 info@epa.govt.nz