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Economic impact and re-establishment of biological control for Gonipterus sp. 2 in Eucalyptus plantations in South Africa

Dissertation (MSc (Entomology))--University of Pretoria, 2024.

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Other Authors: Hurley, Brett P.
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: University of Pretoria 2024
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access_status_str Open Access
author2 Hurley, Brett P.
author_browse Hurley, Brett P.
author_facet Hurley, Brett P.
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv © 2023 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
description Dissertation (MSc (Entomology))--University of Pretoria, 2024.
format Thesis
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institution University of Pretoria (South Africa)
language English
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:37:37.270Z
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provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
publishDate 2024
publishDateRange 2024
publishDateSort 2024
publisher University of Pretoria
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spelling oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/95523 Economic impact and re-establishment of biological control for Gonipterus sp. 2 in Eucalyptus plantations in South Africa Hurley, Brett P. Sivparsad, Benice Harris.keetse@gmail.com Schröder, Michelle Germishuizen, Haria Keetse, Harris Xolane UCTD Economic impact Gonipterus sp. 2 Cypermethrin Eucalyptus Anaphes nitens Dissertation (MSc (Entomology))--University of Pretoria, 2024. Gonipterus sp. n. 2 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), native to Australia, was reported in South Africa in 1916 and has become a serious pest in Eucalyptus plantations. The adults and larvae feed on young and tender leaves of Eucalyptus which can result in a reduction in tree growth and/or extension of rotation length and thus negatively affect economic benefits derived from plantations. Despite the economic importance of Eucalyptus and the threat posed by Gonipterus sp. n. 2, there is a lack of knowledge on the economic impact of this insect in South Africa. The main control strategy for Gonipterus sp. n. 2 is biological control, using a solitary egg parasitoid wasp, Anaphes nitens Girault (Hymenoptera: Mymarid). However, there are still outbreaks of Gonipterus sp. n. 2 despite the presence of this biological control agent, thus necessitating the use of alternative control measures for effective integrated pest management. In this study, the tree growth losses and corresponding economic impact of Gonipterus sp. n. 2 were quantified from insect exclusion trials, and the effect of cypermethrin (pyrethroid insecticide) on the re-establishment of A. nitens was also investigated. The insect exclusion trials consisted of chemically treated plots for the exclusion of Gonipterus sp. n. 2 and untreated plots for this beetle to freely feed. Results from insect exclusion trials showed that Gonipterus sp. n. 2 can result in a significant 17.5% (p = 0.022) reduction in wood volume from cumulative 18% defoliation of two assessment events which translates to a projected economic impact of between R6 399.22/ha (344.11 USD) and R29 224.53/ha (1571.51 USD) at harvest (8 years). The effect of cypermethrin on the re-establishment of A. nitens was investigated by comparing parasitism rates from chemically treated and untreated treatments, before and after spraying of ~2-year-old (at time of last egg collection) Eucalytpus dunnii. Gonipterus sp. n. 2 egg capsules were collected from the field for assessment of parasitism rates. It was found that the insecticide did not influence the parasitism rate (re-establishment) of the parasitoid, indicating potential compatibility between biological and chemical control of Gonipterus sp. n. 2, although larger trials are needed to confirm the results. This is the first study in South Africa to quantify the economic impact of Gonipterus sp. n. 2 and the compatibility of cypermethrin (one of the most used broad-spectrum insecticides) with A. nitens in the field.   Zoology and Entomology MSc (Entomology) Unrestricted Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences SDG-12: Responsible consumption and production 2024-04-15T13:08:54Z 2024-04-15T13:08:54Z 2024-09 2024-04 Dissertation * S2024 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/95523 DOI: https://doi.org/10.25403/UPresearchdata.25592484.v1 https://doi.org/10.25403/UPresearchdata.25592484 en © 2023 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria
spellingShingle UCTD
Economic impact
Gonipterus sp. 2
Cypermethrin
Eucalyptus
Anaphes nitens
Economic impact and re-establishment of biological control for Gonipterus sp. 2 in Eucalyptus plantations in South Africa
title Economic impact and re-establishment of biological control for Gonipterus sp. 2 in Eucalyptus plantations in South Africa
title_full Economic impact and re-establishment of biological control for Gonipterus sp. 2 in Eucalyptus plantations in South Africa
title_fullStr Economic impact and re-establishment of biological control for Gonipterus sp. 2 in Eucalyptus plantations in South Africa
title_full_unstemmed Economic impact and re-establishment of biological control for Gonipterus sp. 2 in Eucalyptus plantations in South Africa
title_short Economic impact and re-establishment of biological control for Gonipterus sp. 2 in Eucalyptus plantations in South Africa
title_sort economic impact and re establishment of biological control for gonipterus sp 2 in eucalyptus plantations in south africa
topic UCTD
Economic impact
Gonipterus sp. 2
Cypermethrin
Eucalyptus
Anaphes nitens
url http://hdl.handle.net/2263/95523
https://doi.org/10.25403/UPresearchdata.25592484