The Greater Mary Association

Tenderly Tending Tingids (and Jewel Beetles) at Tiaro

Our tunnel house and ongoing production made possible by support from the BMRG, Federal DAFF and MRCCC and of course

our volunteer members

Why build a tunnel house?

• The first aim was to shelter and multiply Tingids in the winter to get them started earlier

• When Jewel Beetles became available, the increase of their numbers became the main aim.

• Since the first real releases in early 2013 the Tiaro Tunnel house has supplied over 120 releases totalling in excess of 8000 beetles, all in the Mary River catchment

• The flood and then drought conditions in 2013 had a big effect on success and the earlier break of the season in 2014-15 season is showing much better results- beetles have survived and are spreading.

Approximate cost $8000 plus labour

The inside of the Tunnel house

As the beetles and the tingids attack the Cat’s Claw Vineit turns to something like this

And then to looking like this (if left long enough)

The pots are then removed from the tunnel house, trimmed back, weeded, fertilized and put under a

sprinkler to regrow (7 days growth)

15 days regrowth

Most plants survive several rotations. These are almost ready to return.

Rotations are much longer in cooler months

Beetles are collected for release using a 12v vacuum to suck them into a takeaway food container which is then fitted with a lid containing a mesh window

COLLECTING BEETLES FOR RELEASE

Beetle feeding effects on the trunk of a small tree

WHAT HAPPENS OUTSIDE THE TUNNEL HOUSE IN THE WILD

Beetle feeding on the SE side of the trunk – well established cat’s claw

Our wish is to be able to repeat the devastation of CCV shown in the tunnel house out in the natural environment .The most promising yet, this picture shows a small runner completely denuded by beetles – a branch of the runner had actually withered and died.

The stripped runner

In dry conditions with a shortage of green feed, grazing cattle often remove a lot of the leaves of CCV that beetles

like to eat and reproduce on