Biological control projects

Madeira vine biological control

Photos Biodiversity Australia

Madeira vine (Anredera cordifolia) is a serious environmental weed in Australia due to its extreme growth rates of up to 6 m stem length during the growing season and prolific aerial bulbils and tuber production. By smothering native vegetation it has a significant impact on biodiversity.

Biological control of this highly invasive vine has been undertaken in Queensland and New South Wales.

The South American Madeira vine beetle (Plechtonycha correntina) has been mass reared and released into Madeira vine infestations in south-eastern Queensland from May 2011 onward where field observations suggest that the beetle successfully overwintered at 51% of sites. Further post-winter releases in south-eastern Queensland, northern NSW, Central Queensland and Far North Queensland are also showing positive results with 42% of sites reporting both adult and reproductive stages of the beetle present.

Resources

• Report
• Monitoring Sheet (The monitoring sheet is provided for the use of individuals or organisation that are involved in the biological control program for madeira vine.)

For information contact Mark Hamilton

NSW Environmental and Aquatic Weeds Biological Control Taskforce

This a group that arose from the old NSW Environmental and Aquatic Weed Biological Control Taskforce (which was the successor of the original NSW Lantana Biological Control Taskforce). The purpose of the taskforce is to promote biological control research as well as the rearing, releasing and monitoring of biological control agents approved for the release against significant weeds in NSW. Currently, the Taskforce has an expanded role with a number of new priority weed species included in its Terms of Reference . These include cat's claw creeper, Madeira vine, Sporobolus sp., Cylindropuntia sp., Crofton weed, Mother of millions and salvinia in addition to lantana.

A full list of priority weed species for 2015-16 and an outline of the Terms of Reference are contained in the Draft Terms of Reference May 2015.