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Unlike several of the other most important fruit fly pests, B. tryoni does not breed continuously, but passes the winter in the adult stage. The total lifecycle requires 2-3 weeks in summer and up to 2 months in autumn. Adult females live many months, and four or five overlapping generations may develop annually.

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Post a picture of the finished result. Explain your choices. Why did you use the materials you used? What about the design?

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Post a picture of the finished result. Explain your choices. Why did you use the materials you used? What about the design?

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Ok, time to build. Get an adult to supervise.

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Ok, time to build. Get an adult to supervise.

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Reflect on your design. Can you improve anything?

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Reflect on your design. Can you improve anything?

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This timeline follows the discovery of the fungal disease myrtle rust ( Austropuccinia psidii) and its spread throughout New Zealand. As of July 2018, the disease was present in all regions of the North Island apart from Hawke's Bay. It is also present in the Tasman region of the South Island. A full transcript is underneath the timeline.

Transcript

A brief sequence of events that follows the discovery and spread of myrtle rust.

Scientific investigations often involve a range of organisations. Myrtle rust has environmental, commercial, cultural and societal impacts.

Chronology of events

4 April 2017 - Myrtle rust found on Raoul Island

Myrtle rust is found on Kermadec pōhutukawa trees. Raoul Island, in the Kermadec Islands, is part of New Zealand but its location is more than 1,000 km northeast of Northland. Access to the island is strictly controlled.

Image: Kermadec pōhutukawa. Tangatawhenua, iNaturalist, CC BY-NC 4.0

3 May 2017 - Myrtle rust found in New Zealand

Myrtle rust is found on mainland New Zealand for the first time. Tests confirm five pōhutukawa seedlings at a Kerikeri nursery have the disease. Experts use fungicide spray and restrict the movement of plants and people.

Image: MPI Biosecurity staff bury potting mix at an infected Kerikeri nursery. Department of Conservation, CC BY 4.0

17 May 2017 - Taranaki nursery discovery

A plant nursery in Waitara tests positive for the disease. MPI suggests that nurseries are the first to find myrtle rust due to careful monitoring.

20 May 2017 - More sites confirmed in Taranaki

Additional private and commercial properties in the region are infected. MPI considers the infectious spores have been carried in by the wind from Australia.

Image: Yellow spore clusters on a ramarama tree in Taranaki. Ministry for Primary Industries and licensed by MPI for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence

23 May 2017 - Te Kūiti plant nursery tests positive

Plants from an infected nursery had been sold to a King Country nursery, spreading the disease. Restrictions are in place to prevent the on-sale of infected plants.

13 June 2017 - Private garden in Te Puke

Experts find the disease in a 25-year-old ramarama plant. There is no connection to the Northland or Taranaki sites, and no new plants have been put into the garden. This strengthens the windborne infection proposal.

21 June 2017 - 52 infection sites

MPI confirms 52 sites are infected with myrtle rust - 39 in Taranaki, four in Northland, seven in the Bay of Plenty and two in the Waikato. MPI continues to work with the Department of Conservation, local iwi, Te Puni Kōkiri and local councils to control the movement of plants, trees, fruit and garden waste from infected areas.

Image: Myrtle rust awareness poster. Ministry for Primary Industries and Department of Conservation - Te Papa Atawhai

8 September 2017 - Ōtorohanga detections

Ramarama trees on two Ōtorohanga properties test positive. Once again, there are no connections to plant nurseries or infected locations. As in other cases, the plants are destroyed and experts check all myrtle plants within a 500 m radius.

23 November 2017 - First Auckland find

Myrtle rust is found on hundreds of ramarama plants in a commercial property in West Auckland. MPI reports that ramarama and pōhutukawa appear to be the most susceptible species in New Zealand.

Image: Lower and upper surface of infected pōhutukawa leaves found in Northland. Ministry for Primary Industries and licensed by MPI for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence

1 December 2017 - Myrtle rust detected in Lower Hutt

A 2 m high row of ramarama plants have their foliage sealed to prevent spore drift. After removal, the plant matter is deeply buried.

1 March 2018 - Department of Conservation land affected

Infected ramarama plants and large rātā trees are discovered on Department of Conservation land for the first time. The land is in northern Taranaki.

Image: Northern rātā tree. jacqui-nz, iNaturalist, CC BY-NC 4.0

19 March 2018 - Palmerston North infection

The disease is found in the Manawatū region for the first time. This brings the total number of identified properties to 409 across the North Island.

7 April 2018 - First South Island location

The Tasman region confirms two locations are infected. Authorities are not surprised as climate models identified the region at high risk from windborne spores from Australia. Myrtle rust has now been detected on 547 properties across nine regions.

1 May 2018 - A new approach

MPI announces it will adopt a new approach. Eradication is no longer considered feasible so the focus moves to managing the disease. The new emphasis will be on research to treat myrtle rust, boost resistance and improve collection for seed banking.

Image: Ramarama leaves, flowers and seeds. Engraving by Walter Hood Fitch for Curtis's botanical magazine, 1854. Public domain.

9 October 2018 - Beehive movement restrictions

The Department of Conservation puts restrictions on all beehive movements on Public Conservation Land. Research indicates that bees may be a vector for myrtle rust.

14 January 2019 - Teliospore stage

Biosecurity New Zealand reports local myrtle rust produces a teliospore stage. This indicates the fungus is capable of sexual reproduction. It increases the risk to the country as it allows the fungi to adapt to new environments and possibly affect new hosts.

Science collaboration

5 May 2017 - MPI and DOC co-ordinate response teams

The Ministry for Primary Industries and the Department of Conservation check 800 high-risk sites across the upper North Island. A response team in Wellington makes plans for future efforts.

Image: Biosecurity NZ staff checking for myrtle rust. Ministry for Primary Industries and licensed by MPI for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence

20 May 2017 - Plant producers and industry partner protocols

The nursery industry adopts protocols to try and prevent the spread of myrtle rust. Protocols come from the government and from industry partners such as the New Zealand Plant Producers Incorporated.

13 June 2017 - DNA sequencing and bioinformatic data analysis

Having mapped mānuka's genetic code in 2015, Plant & Food Research use bioinformatics to obtain more detailed understanding of mānuka's genetic stocks using samples collected in collaboration with Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, the University of Waikato and key Māori partners.

Image: University of Waikato

15 June 2017 - New Zealand-Australia research

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment funds science institutes in New Zealand and Australia to investigate the susceptibility of key species to myrtle rust, explore germplasm storage and develop detection systems.

21 June 2017 - Continued containment and control

The Ministry for Primary Industries continues to work with the Department of Conservation, local iwi, Te Puni Kōkiri and local councils to control the movement of plants, trees, fruit and garden waste from infected areas.

30 June 2017 - Myrtle rust risk model

Plant & Food Research creates a mathematical model to understand and predict how myrtle rust behaves under New Zealand conditions. The model makes use of NIWA weather analysis and prediction maps.

Image: Example of a weekly map generated by the New Zealand Convective Scale Model (NZCSM).

Beresford, R., Turner, R., Tait, A., Paul, V., Macara, G., Yu, Z., Lima, L., & Martin, R. (2018). Predicting the climatic risk of myrtle rust during its first year in New Zealand. New Zealand Plant Protection, 71, 332-347.

1 October 2017 - Short and medium-term monitoring sites

The Department of Conservation sets up four short-term and 40 medium-term monitoring sites on Raoul Island to provide data on the speed of disease transfer and the impacts on mature plants and regeneration.

29 November 2017 - Myrtle rust reporter app

Northland Regional Council, Scion, Envirolink, Te Tira Whakamātaki (Māori Biosecurity Network), Biological Heritage National Science Challenge and the Ministry for Primary Industries develop a bilingual app that allows users to record and monitor potential host plants.

Image: Scion

24 April 2018 - Local and regional councils develop management plans

As the focus shifts from eradication to managing the disease, councils such as the Auckland Council continue to develop plans for how to deal with myrtle rust. Private landowners will likely be asked to self-manage any infections.

22 May 2018 - Seed bank collection

Staff from the Department of Conservation and Auckland Botanic Gardens collect disease-free seeds from myrtle species on Great Barrier Island. The seeds are assessed and prepared by the New Zealand Indigenous Flora Seed Bank (NZIFSB) and banked in the Margot Forde Germplasm Centre at AgResearch in Palmerston North.

Seed banks are important because the seeds can be used should local populations of a species become extinct. They also protect genetic variation.

Image: Botanists from Auckland Botanic Gardens support the Department of Conservation with myrtle family seed collection on Great Barrier Island. Auckland Botanic Gardens.

12 June 2018 - Citizen science challenge

Scion scientist Dr Steve Pawson issues a wero (challenge) to the public to help map the disease by collecting and contributing data.

Image: Scion.

14 Dec 2018 - New test

Bio-Protection Research Centre announces a new test that can detect myrtle rust in 30 minutes. Developed by Dr Richard Winkworth and a team of undergraduate students at Massey University, the test is able to detect the fungus prior to the rust's appearance. This will allow management to begin before spores are produced. The test is hailed as a cheap, robust game changer.

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This timeline follows the discovery of the fungal disease myrtle rust ( Austropuccinia psidii) and its spread throughout New Zealand. As of July 2018, the disease was present in all regions of the North Island apart from Hawke's Bay. It is also present in the Tasman region of the South Island.

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Sometimes a Pie chart isn't the best choice, but sometimes it is

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Sometimes a Pie chart isn't the best choice, but sometimes it is

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Here's where you'll run an insect count, updated daily after reviewing pictures

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Here's where you'll run an insect count, updated daily after reviewing pictures

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Pictures of your traps and their contents go here (updated every morning)

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Pictures of your traps and their contents go here (updated every morning)

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Pictures of your trap in its site go here. Explain why you decided on that location

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Pictures of your trap in its site go here. Explain why you decided on that location

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I might need to do more research...

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Animal pests are a major threat to New Zealand's native species. Controlling these pests is essential for the survival of our special native plants and animals.

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Biosecurity – protecting to grow New Zealand

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The Biosecurity 2025 Direction Statement provides the direction New Zealand's biosecurity system needs to take over the next 10 years to make it more resilient and future-focused. Find out about the Direction Statement and its implementation.

About the Direction Statement

All New Zealanders need to play their part so that the biosecurity system can remain resilient. Our lifestyles, our livelihoods, our economy and our unique environment depend on it.

The Biosecurity 2025 Direction Statement belongs to all New Zealanders and guides New Zealand's biosecurity system through to 2025 and beyond. It includes:

a mission for biosecurity

principles - to guide the way we will work

strategic directions - the main priority areas for action and improvement

targets for 2025

initial actions - as a starting point for implementation.

Five strategic directions

A biosecurity team of 4.7 million - A collective effort across the country - every New Zealander becomes a biosecurity risk manager and every business manages their own biosecurity risk.

A toolbox for tomorrow - Harnessing science and technology to transform the way we do biosecurity.

Smart, free-flowing information - Tapping into the wealth of data available, building intelligence, and using powerful data analysis to underpin risk management.

Effective leadership and governance - System-wide leadership and inclusive governance to support all system participants in their roles.

Tomorrow's skills and assets - A capable and sustainable workforce and world-class infrastructure provides the foundation for an effective system.

Download the Biosecurity 2025 Direction Statement [PDF, 5.1 MB]

Groups to plan implementation

Over 80 system leaders and 60 organisations were involved in planning how to implement the Biosecurity 2025 Direction Statement.

Steering group

The Biosecurity 2025 Steering Group will continue to lead and drive delivery of the Biosecurity 2025 programme, mobilise people to work together across the system, and provide strategic system oversight until longer-term governance arrangements are in place. The Steering Group membership reflects the breadth of the system, and includes Māori, industry, NGO, central government and local government members.

Working groups

Five working groups - one for each strategic direction - developed a work plan to inform the development of the Implementation Plan. The Implementation Plan will provide guidance and specific actions through to 2025 and beyond.

Video - the importance of biosecurity

Transcript - show/hide

[Upbeat music]

Ruud Kleinpaste, "Bugman": New Zealand is the bread basket of the world and we can grow anything. We can do it cheaply because we've got relatively few pests, few diseases. We've been isolated all this time; we're in the perfect condition to grow the best stuff. Any threat that is undermining this ability of ours to do this - [makes a cutting sound as he draws his hand across his throat] Got to get out. Can't get in.

Graeme Marshall, Chair, Biosecurity Ministerial Advisory Committee: One small incursion, one hint of something going wrong with biosecurity in New Zealand, and our reputation can be severely dented.

Janine Mayes, Chief Quarantine Officer, Border Clearance Services, MPI: Our income relies on us being able to export our primary industries. So if we don't have that any more, your lovely lifestyle will be reduced.

Kimberley Sell, Detector Dog Handler, Border Clearance Services, MPI: Talking to kids about biosecurity and why it's important for a small country like New Zealand to have biosecurity measures in place.

Alan Kirkpatrick, Rail and Road Services Supervisor, Port of Tauranga: It's for your exporters, it's for your importers, it's for your forest and bird people, it's for your farmers. It's basically for everyone. So it's just about being a good New Zealander. Every part of commerce can be affected.

Nadine Tunley, Chair, Pipfruit New Zealand: We're a 700 mil - coming up to 700 million dollar industry. All of the jobs that rely, through the packhouses, into the orchards, they're all the people that suffer.

Philip Hulme, Professor of plant biosecurity, Lincoln University: There's probably nowhere else in the world that takes it so seriously as New Zealand. We are entirely dependent on good agriculture production, and also on protecting our natural environment for tourism.

Bruce Wills, sheep and beef farmer, Northern Hawke's Bay: Very serious consequences if we don't get this right.

John Jones: Senior Quarantine Officer, Border Clearance Services, MPI: There are new problems evolving all the time; there's an insect called a [brown] marmorated stink bug.

Bruce Wills: Foot and mouth, heaven forbid.

Richard Calvert, National Biosecurity Capability Coordinator, AsureQuality: No one organisation can actually deliver what's going to be required in the worst case scenario. It's all about that New Zealand Inc if you know what I mean

Bruce Wills: We can't expect MPI to manage this. This is the special responsibility for all of us.

Barry O'Neil, Chief Executive, Kiwifruit Vine Health: We're learning off each other as to what we can and should do going forward. We've got skin in the game and we're committing to working to improve biosecurity.

Nadine Tunley: Every day New Zealanders should get involved in the importance of biosecurity because that's part of the learning.

Danielle King, Senior Quarantine Officer, Border Clearance Services, MPI: And that it's not just us, but it's a responsibility for all New Zealanders.

Barry O'Neil: If we don't participate and agree what needs to be done going forward, we can't then just throw rocks and complain that not enough is being done. So to me this is the opportunity for us to collectively agree what we want from our biosecurity system. And then we can look at, well how can we achieve that together.

Graeme Marshall: The Biosecurity Direction Statement will be at that high level. But it's about the actions that are taken as a result of that that are going to make the difference and that's where those partnerships, the collaboration, the togetherness is going to make the difference. And that's where industry need to be involved, be part of the conversation and step forward.

Ruud Kleinpaste: It's not just MPI's domain to look after biosecurity. There's DoC, the Ministry for the Environment, and don't forget the Regional Councils, the landowners, Māori, Iwi - everybody is part of this. This is a big picture for New Zealand; we've got to be on board with that, surely?

[Upbeat music.]

The Ministry for Primary Industries thanks Christchurch Airport, Port of Tauranga and everyone who has helped in the Biosecurity 2025 initiative.

[End transcript]

Five work plans

The work plans set out each working group's view of what success would look like if the goals and outcomes are met, and the actions needed to deliver them.

These plans are an important base from which the implementation plan will be developed.

The plan reflects the breadth and complexity of the system, and includes the perspectives of Māori, scientists, industry and business, NGOs, local government and central government, universities, Crown Research Institutes, and many others.

Proposed actions for the first 2 years

The working groups identified proposed actions to start over the first 2 years. These actions are subject to available resources, and identification of project leads and sponsors.

Get the latest news

Get updates on the Biosecurity 2025 programme of work by signing up to the Biosecurity 2025 newsletter. This collaboratively developed newsletter features stories about everyday people, businesses, organisations and government taking action.
Subscribe to the Biosecurity 2025 newsletter
Join the Biosecurity Communication Network

Join this group of communicators working together to strategically position Biosecurity 2025 with stakeholders across the system.

If your role includes communications, we encourage you to join the network. Email us with your details and invite other communicators, that you think should be involved, to join.

Who to contact

If you have questions about the Biosecurity 2025 Direction Statement, email biosecurity2025@mpi.govt.nz

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The Biosecurity 2025 Direction Statement provides the direction New Zealand's biosecurity system needs to take over the next 10 years to make it more resilient and future-focused. Find out about the Direction Statement and its implementation. All New Zealanders need to play their part so that the biosecurity system can remain resilient.

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Enjoy views of Manukau Heads from the Wattle Downs Walkway in Manurewa.

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Picking Your Environment and Siting your Trap

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Picking Your Environment and Siting your Trap

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A new species of fruit fly has been found in South Auckland.

Biosecurity NZ said the facialis fruit fly was caught in a surveillance trap in Otara yesterday.

It was a different species to the Queensland fruit fly and was unrelated to a separate biosecurity incident in Devonport.

So far, just the single specimen had been found and there was no indication of an incursion.

Ministry for Primary Industries director-general Ray Smith said the facialis species was native to Tonga, where it had badly affected crops of capsicum and chilli. It appeared to be less harmful to other fruit and vegetables, he said.

As a tropical fruit fly, it may not be at home in New Zealand's climate.

Restrictions had been put in place in the suburb where the fly was detected, Smith said.

"As with the fruit fly in Devonport, we need to determine if it's a lone specimen or if there's a population of these flies in the area.

"To do this, we're setting more traps in the area around the find. And while we look for more flies, we have restricted the movement of fruit and vegetables to stop the spread of any other facialis fruit flies that may be out there.

"We are progressively ramping-up activities in the area and will be working closely with the local community."

Biosecurity NZ has declared a controlled area around the location where the fly was found. That meant whole fresh fruit amd vegetables could not be moved outside of the area which extends 200m from where the fly was found.

Minister for Biosecurity Damien O'Connor said the finding of a second fruit fly was disappointing.

"Getting rid of the fruit fly is New Zealand's most well-oiled biosecurity response. We've been here several times before and each time we've successfully got rid of this horticultural pest," he said.

He added: "Two fruit flies is not an incursion as we saw in 2014 when the fruit fly was found twice in Whangārei, but we can't be too careful and as the response ramps up I urge the local community to be vigilant.

"This is a pest that could significantly harm our $5.5 billion horticulture sector and is why the Government is committed to do what it takes to keep it from establishing here."

Residents in the Otara area can find full information about what they need to do here.

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Another fruit fly found in Auckland - this time in Otara

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A new species of fruit fly has been found in South Auckland. Biosecurity NZ said the facialis fruit fly was caught in a surveillance trap in Otara yesterday. It was a different species to the Queensland fruit fly and was unrelated to a separate biosecurity incident in Devonport.

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Now that you've seen all 3 videos can you evaluate their effectiveness, value, and reliability? Would your answer be different if we were talking about a different audience?
Do you think something need to be serious to be educational?

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Now that you've seen all 3 videos can you evaluate their effectiveness, value, and reliability? Would your answer be different if we were talking about a different audience?
Do you think something need to be serious to be educational?

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Fruit Flies and Global Environmental Issues

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News Story about Fruit Flies in Auckland 

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News Story about Fruit Flies in Auckland 