Thrips take flight against prickly acacia in the Barkly
A tiny insect has made a big arrival in the Northern Territory (NT), with the first NT release of the gall-inducing thrips Acaciothrips ebneri targeting prickly acacia, Vachellia nilotica, in the Barkly region.
Originally sourced from Ethiopia, A. ebneri was selected for its ability to attack prickly acacia growing points, causing gall formation and shoot-tip dieback. After extensive testing confirmed that it only targets prickly acacia, the insect was approved for release in Australia and is now making its NT debut in the Barkly. Although biocontrol agents are not typically deployed onto eradication target species, the thrips have been released in this instance into locations that are inaccessible due to inundation.
Gerald Danao, Michelle Franklin and Enock Menge from the Weed Management Branch joined Biosecurity Queensland entomologists K. Dhileepan and Boyang Shi to release the biocontrol agent at four sites across Rockhampton Downs and Brunette Downs stations in July.
The thrips provides a promising new tool in the long-term management of one of northern Australia's worst woody weeds. The team also visited Alroy Downs Station to inspect populations of the mesquite biocontrol moth Evippe sp. as part of ongoing biological control monitoring.
Gerald and Enock will return to the release sites in October of this year to assess the thrips' establishment, survival and spread. Stay tuned as this tiny biocontrol agent begins its journey to make a big impact on prickly acacia across the NT.
