Description
Lemon tree borer is a New Zealand native beetle with a slim body, which grows about 15 to 30 millimetres long. The beetles fly at night and eat pollen. The larvae can be between 10 and 30 millimetres long, and burrow into twigs and branches causing them to die back. Larvae can live inside a plant for between 1 and 2 years.
Common native plant hosts
| Scientific names | Māori/common names |
|---|---|
| Aristotelia serrata | Wineberry, makomako |
| Brachyglottis repanda | Rangiora, bushman’s friend, bushman’s toilet paper |
| Leptospermum scoparium | Mānuka |
| Melicytus spp. | Māhoe, hinahina, whiteywood |
| Olearia spp. | Chatham Island akeake, hakapiri, golden akeake, akiraho, tree daisy |
Scientific names
Aristotelia serrata
Māori/common names
Wineberry, makomako
Scientific names
Brachyglottis repanda
Māori/common names
Rangiora, bushman’s friend, bushman’s toilet paper
Scientific names
Leptospermum scoparium
Māori/common names
Mānuka
Scientific names
Melicytus spp.
Māori/common names
Māhoe, hinahina, whiteywood
Scientific names
Olearia spp.
Māori/common names
Chatham Island akeake, hakapiri, golden akeake, akiraho, tree daisy
Symptoms and damage
- Wilting leaves.
- Dieback of individual branches.
- Holes in branches two to three millimetres round with piles of powdery dust indicate active burrows.
Prevention and control tips
- Cannot be controlled with pesticides.
- Larvae can be killed by inserting a thin piece of wire or guitar string into borer holes to spike the larvae.
- Prune off and burn infested branches.
- Treat pruning cuts or wounds on trees with pruning sealant.