Went to Northern Seminar Series last night at Downfall Creek to hear Wayne Roberts from Biosecurity QLD talk about pest ants (fire ants tramp ants [electric ants yellow crazy ants ginger ants Argentine ants tropical fire ants]) and myrtle rust.
Myrtle rust ([i]Uredo rangelii[/i]) is a fungi – bright yellow like wattle – that attacks plants of the Myrtaceae family. Basically when you think of Australian plants you’ve pretty much got it!
[ul]eucalypts
lilly pilly
bottle brush
tea tree
paper bark
native guava
scrub cherry[/ul]
It attacks new growth flowers fruit. It kills the plant.
It was first detected in Australia in Gosford NSW in April 2010. Since then it has spread very rapidly. It is here.
Plants that are regularly trimmed are particularly susceptible (because trimming promotes new growth).
Koala fodder trees are vulnerable.
It was used as a biological control for myrtaceae in the US.
It will impact on bees wildlife industry and agriculture.