Biological control agents for the guava moth, Coscinoptycha ...

Existing data for C. improbana analysed by Dr Andrew Mitchell, Australia Museum, Sydney, using theBarcode of Life Database (BOLD), showed very little variation in the COI gene in the 14 specimenssequenced so far, collected inland from Canberra to Orange, and Sydney to the QLD border on thecoast.Neither lilly pilly nor acmena fruit have been recorded as hosts of guava moth in Northland (LisaJamieson pers. comm. and pers. obs.), despite being readily available to guava moth. Fruit ofmacadamia (Ruth Huwer, pers. comm.), feijoa and loquat and have not been recorded as hosts ofguava moth in Australia – including fruit from four feijoa trees in Sydney examined during this study(Table 2). The most common insect infesting macadamia nuts in Queensland is the macadamia nutborer, Cryptophlebia ombrodelta (Lepidoptera: Torticidae), which may be excluding guava mothfrom infesting macadamia nuts.Table 2. Host fruit of guava moth common to Australia, New Zealand and Norfolk Island+ host- present, but not a host? present, but not known if a hostSpecies PlantFamilyPlace ofOriginAustralia NewZealandNorfolkIslandGuava, Myrtaceae Sth America + + +Psidium sp.Feijoa, Acca Myrtaceae Sth America - + Not presentsellowianaLilly pilly – Myrtaceae Australia + - Not presentSyzygiumpaniculatum,S. australeAcmena Mytaceae Australia + - Not presentsmithiiMacadamia Proteaceae Australia - + ?spp.Citrus spp. Rutaceae SE Asia + + ?Loquat, Rosaceae China - + ?EriobotryajaponicaPeach, Pyrus Rosaceae China - + +sp.Plum (Old Rosaceae Europe - + ?World),Prunus spp.Pear, PyruspyrifoliaRosaceae Europe - + ?