Gallery

MacTrix Just Emerged

MacTrx female after emergence via escape hole in the egg. Note the eggs remain black after wasp emergence.

Lifecycles of MacTrix & Mac Nutborer

MacTrix on a match head

MNB and spotting bugs are major pests of macadamia

Lychees are also a host of macadamia nutborer

MacTrix are despatch as pupa on cards

Parasitised MNB eggs

The eggs are in the grooves and protected for transport

Placing the cards

MacTrix cards are stapled under a leaf

Rain protection

In wet areas, cards can be stapled inside a plastic cup. But usually protection not required.

MacTrix escape hole in nutborer egg.

Fresh nutborer egg

Nuts with eggs can be collected

And examined for parasitism

FSB & BSB

FSB adult on left, FSB adult on right

FSB nymph left, BSB right.

Anastatus inserting FSB egg

Anastatus parasitising FSB egg

FSB damage in avocado

The telltale sign in FSB attack

Under skin FSB damage in avocado

Typical FSB and BSB damage in avocado

Fruitlets

Yield loss is caused by FSB not just damage at harvest

BSB adult in papaya

BSB damage in papaya

Causes major damage in papaya.

BSB damage to mango shoots

BSB damaged mango fruitlets

Cocoa fruitlet damage by BSB

BSB on cocoa

Bug damage in custard apple

FSB damage stems in mango and avocado

Anastatus parasitises spined citrus bug eggs

Healthy papaya

Round plants are particularly susceptible to BSB attack

BSB Spotting in bananas

Surprise, surprise!

BSB on acerola cherry

Many tropical fruits are attacked

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Parasitised FSB eggs are hard to find

FSB egg sentinel cards with Anastatus wasps

Some protection for Anastatus cards

In very wet are covers can be used

Anastatus release card

Note the wasps escape holes in the eggs

Spiders are important predator of bugs

FSB caught in spider web

Spider lassoing a BSB nymph

Green lacewing adult

Green lacewing eggs

Typically laid in groups on fine stalks

green lacewing larva feeding on aphid

Packs of adult green lacewings

Ready for despatch

Ready to go

Adult green lacewings will usually lay some eggs in transit.

Trissolcus egg parasitoid of GVB eggs

Trichopoda parasitoid fly of GVB

Trichopoda fly egg on shoulder of GVB

Many species collected from a drop sheet in macadamias

Cover crop in macadamias

Improve soils and provide resources for beneficial insects and pollinators

Buckwheat cover crop

Cover crop