CSIRO Science Image

All species of pine trees are susceptible to attack by the woodwasp, Sirex noctilio. When Sirex was first discovered on the Australian mainland, in 1961, the softwood plantations of southern Australia were threatened with destruction.

The initial attack on the wasp was a search-and-destroy program, but the study of the life cycle of the pest and its natural enemies led researchers to a control program using parasitic wasps and nematodes.

Today, these biological control measures, combined with efficient forest management, are proving successful weapons against the Sirex woodwasp.

Produced in 1974.

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• Insects