Blitzing urban hubs!Welcome to the start of week two. An impressive number of reports have already been received for the Biosecurity Blitz! From 19 October to 16 November:
Do one activity, make a report or do as many activites as you like, anytime, anywhere! Meet the 'Team'We are not a website with auto responses but a tiny team of people who thoughtfully and enthusiastically enjoy replying back to each and everyone one of you. We will reply to your report with an ID. Thanks for your patience! For those who are new, the aim of the Biosecurity Blitz is to discover and document as many interesting or damaging organisms as possible by making reports using one of our apps. Each report is verified by an expert and then shared on a map for the community to view. The data is reviewed and combined to help verify Australia’s freedom from certain unwanted pests. If you wish to provide your taxonomic skills, knowledge and expertise feel free to join our network of diagnosticians. Act now to keep plants healthyTo celebrate the International Year of Plant Health 2020 try and limit the spread of pests by undertaking surveillance in your home garden, street or urban park this week. "You can teach an old dog new tricks." Lyn O'Connell, Australia Watch out for weeds!Wheel cactus spreads quickly because birds eat the fruit and poop the seeds out in their droppings. If left unmanaged the cactus can form impenetrable thickets and cause harm to livestock and native fauna. The round segments are up to 40 centimetres in diameter, which are usually a dull bluish-green colour, whereas other types of prickly pear have oval or teardrop-shaped segments.” In SA wheel cactus has spread over 35,000 hectares in the Flinders Ranges! It can’t be planted in WA and must be reported, so please do your bit, thanks. Opuntia robusta (Caryophyllales: Cactaceae) in agricultural land. DPIRD botanist Sandy Lloyd. Take up a challenge!This year's epic 30-Day Challenge sets the 'beginners' apart from the 'boffins'. You still have time to register! Download the 30-Day Calendar of activities and complete each in any order to win the prize donated by the Plant Surveillance Network. The latest discoveries!Last week's reports should inspire you to explore your home garden, street verge and urban green areas. Let's go meet the urban dwellers this week. View the activities. Hovering syrphid flies!This year a huge number of tiny buzzing bandits are being reported. Hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) buzz and hover over flowers, pretending to be wasps or bees, drinking nectar and helping to pollinate flowers while they find mates (that’s what all the swarming is about – speed-dating Syrphid style!). Their offspring, who are predatory maggots, will be busy very soon slurping aphids and other sap-sucking pests dry. Que es Quambalaria?If you wander down south and visit our native forests, you might come across Quambalaria shoot blight disease (QSB) of marri and red flowering gum. This disease is caused by a fungal pathogen, Quambalaria pitereka and is considered to be endemic to the east coast of Australia. It affects mainly new shoots, flowering buds and expanding juvenile foliage on seedlings and young trees. Leaves and stems infected with this disease are distorted, display black necrotic lesions and eventually die off. White spore masses are often visible on the infected shoots, buds and leaves. QSB infection commonly results in the repeated destruction of the growing tips of the trees, resulting in multi-branching and a shrub-like growth. QSB is causing considerable damage to young spotted gum plantations in NSW and QLD, and is unfortunately already causing damage in our native forests here in WA too. Quambalaria shoot blight disease of marri and red flowering gum showing necrotic lesions (top left), multi-branching (top right) and white spores masses (bottom). Photos: Giles Hardy, Hoa Duong (Murdoch University). Bobtail boffinsBobtail skinks Tiliqua rugosa (Squamata: Scincidae) are large chunky lizards often seen slowly waddling across southern bits of Australia. Having a stumpy-tail similar to its head and shingle-like scales on its back it deters predators with a flash of large blue tongue and a hiss, warning you to stay away! If you get too close their powerful jaws might bite you, but more often they are killed by cats, foxes and dogs or by vehicles when crossing roads….so slow down and keep your eyes peeled! In spring, pairs mate for life. A female gives birth to only one or two live young, each a third to half the adult length in size! They are omnivorous and love eating snails and slugs, fruit and carrion! Are insects the new sushi?Meat-free Mondays and termite Tuesdays are a challenge for some, but bush tucker is our great Australian ‘super food’! Explore the amazing science of food with delicious (or you might think disgusting) recipes. Depending on the type of insect, they generally have a protein content similar to, or more than beef, with very little of the fat. Replacing a few of our current livestock with ‘little-livestock’ could help make our food production considerably more sustainable. For example, did you know grasshoppers are 12 times more efficient than cattle at converting fodder to protein with less poop (and methane) and water! It is healthy to eat insects and may be environmentally smarter too. Listen to The Economist and learn why eating insects makes sense. Recipes by DG Gordon in Eat-A-Bug Cookbook. Photos: Chugrad McAndrews© and composition by Isabel Arevalo-Vigne DPIRD. Acknowledgement of CountryWe acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to the land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures; and to their Elders past, present and future. Welcome to all who may visit or participate in the Biosecurity Blitz activities. A little honey goes a long wayThrough both story and medium, art collections reflect the diversity of culture with form and style representing various cultural regions in Australia and elsewhere. Did you know WA’s Parliament House art collection dates back to 1820 and includes works from some of our most celebrated artists? Be proud of, celebrate and learn more about the cultural aspects, artists and artwork in your local area. Or head to www.shareourpride.org.au Honey ants (Ngook biddit) 2006 by Aaron Hayden. Natural Ochre and Pigments on Canvas 140.5 x 130cm. Part of the Legislative Assembly Collection held in Parliament House, Western Australia. Next week...A keen eye is needed to find all the places that insects hide and shelter. Check the activity book for next week's activities, do any atanytime it suits you! Make sure your friends and family know about the Biosecurity Blitz so they don’t miss out! Forward this email and get them signed up to receive the weekly newsletter! Important disclaimer The Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and the State of Western Australia accept no liability whatsoever by reason of negligence or otherwise arising from the use or release of this information or any part of it. Copyright © Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, 2020 |