Biosecurity New Zealand has asked the public to report any sign of the wood-boring granulate ambrosia beetle. Biosecurity Surveillance and Incursion Manager Brendan Gould said the beetle was regarded as a pest overseas and was known to feed on a wide range of broadleaf trees, including horticultural species such as avocado, and could spread fungal diseases.

Gould: “We need to know if New Zealand has a wider population, which is why we are asking the public to report any possible sightings. The beetle lives under bark, making it difficult to detect, but Gould said a tell-tale sign of the beetle was ‘distinctive protrusions of compacted sawdust from bark that looks like toothpicks’”.

Other symptoms included sap oozing from the tunnel entrances and branch dieback. Biosecurity officials were working with local authorities to identify the extent of the spread, including inspecting known host trees and placing lured traps around the detection sites, Gould said.

Stuff.co.nz further quoted Gould as saying: “The beetle is native to tropical and subtropical East Asia – it has been found in many areas in the world, including Africa, USA, Central America, Europe, some Pacific Islands, and most recently in Queensland. Anyone who believes they have seen the granulate ambrosia beetle or any sign of frass on trees should take a photo and call Biosecurity NZ’s exotic pests and diseases hotline.”