Please be vigilant for signs of Myrtle Rust

[Barry Calderbank]

Myrtle Rust is a significant pest of many bush species (incl eucalyptus, teatree, paperbark, willow myrtle and bottlerbrush). It has been spreading in NSW and Qld. Myrtle Rust has not established in Tasmania and we want to keep it that way. Bushwalkers can play a major role by ensuring they have some idea what Myrtle Rust looks like and reporting any sighting. We have produced wallet-size ID cards that show what Myrtle Rust looks like, tells you what to do (and what not to do) if you think you see it and the contact details. If you would like one of these cards for yourself or a batch for your group, please contact me Barry.Calderbank@dpipwe.tas.gov.au and let me know how many cards and where to send them.

The distinctive yellow spores of Myrtle Rust are much more evident in the warmer months - and we must be due for some warm weather soon!

We have Myrtle Rust posters at various places in the national parks. But you may find it handy to actually carry a Myrtle Rust ID card with you.

[tas-man]

Thanks Barry for the ID Cards which have been distributed to LWC members. Rather than start another thread, can you identify this stuff I photographed yesterday growing on eucalyptus leaves near Watersmeet at Lake St Clair? The purple colour is like the beginning stages of Myrtle Rust, but where it was well established, there was no sign of any yellow material anywhere on the tree. I have GPS Co-ords if needed to follow up. If anyone can identify this or has seen it elsewhere, I would be interested to know.

[tas-man]

This interesting infestation of eucalypt leaves has been identified, and details of correspondence from DPIPWE explain the situation.

Firstly from Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, Biosecurity and Plant Health Branch -
"Thanks for the additional info. A forest pathologist (outside of the dept) is pretty confident that the symptoms are due to galls produced by the felt gall mite, and believes it is quite common and not of concern. Thus the issue moves from the pathologists to the entomologists. When we let the entomologists know, Dr Jxxxxx was very interested in getting samples to the lab because of an interest he has in mites that produce galls - however he is on leave for the next few weeks and thus can't assist with sample collection, at least until he gets back.

Since it doesn't appear to be a biosecurity issue, I will wait for Jxxxxx's return to see if he wants to take you up on your kind offer, or do it alone. Alternatively, if yourself or bushwalking colleagues are nearby again, feel free to take samples in sealable plastic bags and submit them to the address in my signature block below. Bit of an ask I know! They are great symptoms, and we are thankful of your awareness!"

. . . . then info from DPIPWE's Entomologist -
"The felt gall mite is possibly an undescribed species in the genus Aceria, which is in the superfamily Eriophyoidea (some are commonly known as gall mites). These mites are a highly specialised group that often cause distinctive symptoms on their host. They are very common but are often unnoticed as they are very small (less than 0.1 mm long) and often live in concealed microhabitats on their host."

. . . . so if anyone is planing a trip to Lake St Clair in the next few weeks who would like to pick up a sample for DPIPWE, send me a PM and I can give you the detailed location information.

[tas-man]

Here's a detail of the mite infestation at full resolution -

[tas-man]

Here's an update on this story. I was authorised by DPIPWE to collect a sample from a National Park for their Entomologist and did this a few weeks ago when at Lake St Clair. I have had a progress report from him and some preliminary photos.

"I have not had a chance to identify the mites yet but I have taken photographs under a dissecting microscope of the symptoms with live mites (3 photos up to x100) and of a prepared slide under a compound high power microscope (x600). The mites in the dissecting microscope photos are the small, pale elongated objects, the photos are not that great as I couldn't get them to sit still (even after time in the fridge) and I need a reasonably long exposure time. I will send further info as it progresses, I hope to make more slides and ID to genus in the next week or so."

Fascinating stuff!

[north-north-west]

Fascinating, and one hell of a relief.

[tas-man]

Myrtle Rust is a significant pest of many bush species (incl eucalyptus, teatree, paperbark, willow myrtle and bottlerbrush). It has been spreading in NSW and Qld. Myrtle Rust has not established in Tasmania and we want to keep it that way. Bushwalkers can play a major role by ensuring they have some idea what Myrtle Rust looks like and reporting any sighting. We have produced wallet-size ID cards that show what Myrtle Rust looks like, tells you what to do (and what not to do) if you think you see it and the contact details. If you would like one of these cards for yourself or a batch for your group, please contact me Barry.Calderbank@dpipwe.tas.gov.au and let me know how many cards and where to send them.

The distinctive yellow spores of Myrtle Rust are much more evident in the warmer months - and we must be due for some warm weather soon!
We have Myrtle Rust posters at various places in the national parks. But you may find it handy to actually carry a Myrtle Rust ID card with you.

To return to the topic of this thread, I have scanned my DPIPWE Myrtle Rust ID card for members to print out their own copy to help keep Tassie from the impact that this has had in other states. And as happened to me, you might spot things you would otherwise never have noticed before!