Richard L. Hill

• Research Associate at Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research

Remote sensing was used to map the invasion of yellow-flowered legumes on the Central Plateau of New Zealand to inform weed management strategy. The distributions of Cytisus scoparius (broom), Ulex europaeus (gorse) and Lupinus arboreus (tree lupin) were captured with high-resolution RGB photographs of the plants while flowering. The outcomes of he...

An application to the Environmental Protection Authority for permission to release into New Zealand two control agents for lantana.

An application to the Environmental Protection Authority for permission to release the gall fly Procecidochares alani into New Zealand for biological control of the weed mistflower, Ageratina riparia

An application to the Environmental Protection Authority to import and release the moth plant rust fungus Puccinia araujiae, as a biological control agent for the weed moth plant, Araujia hortorum, in New Zealand.

An application to the Environmental Protection Authority for permission to introduce into New Zealand the Arundo wasp (Tetramesa romana) and the Arundo scale insect (Rhizaspidiotus donacis), two biological control agents for the weed giant reed (Arundo donax).

An application to the Environmental Protection Authority for permission to introduce two moths, Wheeleria spilodactylus and Chamaesphecia mysiniformis, into New Zealand as biological control agents for the weed horehound (Marrubium vulgare).

An application to the Environmental Risk Management Authority for permission to release 3 new organisms for the biological control of broom, Cytisus scoparius, in New Zealand

An application to the Environmental Protection Authority for permission to release Colaspis argentinensis into New Zealand as a biological control agent for moth plant Araujia hortorum

An application to the Environmental Risk Management Authority for permission to the weevil Cleopus japonicus into New Zealand as a biological control agent for Buddleja davidii

An application to the Environmental Protection Authority for permission to release the weevil Grypus equiseti into New Zealand as a biological control agent for field horsetail (Equisetum arvense)

An application to the Environmental Protection Authority for permission to release Aceria vitalbae into New Zealand as a biological control agent for Clematis vitalbae

An application to the Environmental Protection Authority for permission to release Berberidicola exaratus and Anthonomus kuscheli into New Zealand as biological control agents for Darwin's barberry (Berberis darwinii)

Approval is sought by the West Coast Ragwort Control Trust to import for release two new moths, Cochylis atricapitana (Tortricidae) and Platyptilia isodactyla (Pterophoridae), for the biological control of the pasture weed ragwort

An application to the Environmental Risk Management Authority for permission to release two insects, Ceratapion onopordi (Brentidae) and Cassida rubiginosa (Chrysomelidae into New Zealand as a biological control agents for Californian thistle (Cirsium arvense)

An application to the Environmental Protection Authority for permission to release the pathogen Kordyana sp into New Zealand as a biological control agent for the weed Tradescantia fluminensis.

An application to the Environmental Risk Management Authority for permission to release a beetle, Neolema ogloblini (Chrysomelidae), into New Zealand as a biological control agent for the weed tradescantia (Tradescantia fluminensis).

An application to the Environmental Protection Authority for permission to release the butterfly Limenitis glorifica into New Zealand as a biological control agent for the weed Japanese honeysuckle, Lonicera japonica.

An application to the Environmental Protection Authority for permission to release two beetles, Lema basicostata and Neolema abbreviata into New Zealand as a biological control agents for the weed Tradescantia fluminensis

An application to the Environmental Protection Authority for permission to release the moth Lathronympha strigana and the leaf beetle Chrysolina abchasica into New Zealand as a biological control agents for the weed tutsan (Hypericum androsaemum).

An application to the Environmental Protection Authority for permission to release moth plant beetle Freudeita cf cupripennis into New Zealand as a biological control agent for moth plant Araujia hortorum

Ragwort flea beetle, released in New Zealand in 1983, successfully controls ragwort, except in regions that receive very high rainfall such as the West Coast of South Island. If biocontrol had not been instigated, expenditure on ragwort control across New Zealand dairy farms in 2015 would have been an estimated NZ$64 million (adjusted for inflation...

An application to the Environmental Protection Authority for permission to release the privet lace bug (Leptophya hospita) into New Zealand as a biological control agent for the weed privet (Ligustrum spp.).

Weeds constitute a unique biosecurity challenge. We describe the causes of plant invasion and pathways for introduction. The broad and diverse impacts of weeds are described as well as what makes them different from other types of pests for risk assessment and management along the biosecurity continuum. We offer a policy focus and a look at pre-bor...

Four species of Aphidius (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) were deliberately established in New Zealand in the period 1977–1994 for the biological control of pest aphids. Biological control practice and its regulation evolved over this period, so that whereas the evidence required for the 1977 introductions was based on literature records, by 1994 addition...

Biological control (biocontrol) can provide permanent cost‐effective control of plant pests, but has variable success. The ability to predict the success of weed biocontrol should improve target prioritisation and the cost‐benefit ratio of weed biocontrol. We compiled a data base of the quantitative impacts of weed biocontrol programmes against 80...

The gorse pod moth Cydia succedana was released in New Zealand as a biological control agent against gorse Ulex europaeus L. in 1992 and is now widely established. Post-release evaluations of the host range of C. succedana were undertaken using both laboratory assays and field collections on native and exotic plants related to gorse. Field surveys...

This study compared species diversity, abundance and size of broad-leaved herbaceous weeds on 28 South Island sheep/beef farms that employed either organic, integrated management (IM) or conventional management (CM) systems. Three or six paddocks per farm were surveyed using walked transects in November 2005, and the presence and number of individu...

The buddleia leaf weevil, Cleopus japonicus, was released in New Zealand in 2006 as a biological control agent for the weed Buddleja davidii. A two-phase open-field design was used to confirm laboratory host range and examine non-target impacts in the field. This was the first field trial undertaken in New Zealand and included six non-target plant...

a b s t r a c t Contrary to predictions based on host-range testing, the gorse pod moth (GPM) infests pods of several exotic Genisteae and Loteae species, as well as the target weed gorse Ulex europaeus, throughout New Zealand. The original host-range tests were conducted on moths collected in southern England; however, the offspring of Portuguese...

Introduction: A web-based information resource http://www.b3nz.org/birea/ has been developed by researchers in New Zealand to assist biological control researchers and practitioners planning to prepare an application to ERMA New Zealand to bring a new biological control agent into New Zealand.The aim of the website is to help foster safe biological...

Gorse (Ulex europaeus L.) has become naturalized in at least 50 countries outside its native range, from the high elevation tropics to the subantarctic islands and Scandinavia. Its habit, adaptability and ability to colonize disturbed ground makes it one of the world's most invasive temperate weeds. It is 80 years since New Zealand first initiated...

We propose the development of a three level model system using insects as deliberate and enhanced vectors of plant pathogens for weed control. The potential for deliberately using insects to deliver plant pathogens against weeds could only ever be realized if a wide range of conditions of such a hypothetical tri-trophic system were met. Each of the...

We explored the spatial structure of seed size variation and tested whether seed size differed between native and exotic populations in two invasive species. Seed of Cytisus scoparius (Scotch broom) is significantly heavier in its exotic range, whereas seed of Ulex europaeus (European gorse) is no different between ranges. This result suggests that...

Risks of non-target effects resulting from releases of exotic organisms for the biological control of alien pests are a growing major concern because: (a) previous releases (<1%) are having significant negative impacts on rare native species, (b) alien organisms are a recognized global threat to sustainable agriculture and biodiversity, (c) risk an...

Cydia succedana Denis and Schiffermüller (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) has been introduced to New Zealand as a biological control agent to attack the seeds of gorse (Ulex europaeus; Fabaceae). Gorse is a major weed in New Zealand and in other temperate parts of the world including Oregon and California (USA), at high elevations in Hawaii (USA), Chile,...

Biological control, using specialist insect herbivores and plant pathogens, can be a self-sustaining, cost-effective and low-risk tool for the management of environmental weeds. Agents have been recorded attacking non-target plants in New Zealand and elsewhere, but the effects are usually minor and/or transitory. It seems probable that only two cas...

Simulation and analytical models were developed for gorse Ulex europaeus . The simulation model incorporated spatially local density−dependent competition, disturbance, asymmetric competition between seedlings and established plants, a seed bank, local seed dispersal, an age structured established plant population, and temporal variation in the pro...

Phytomyza vitalbae Kaltenbach (Diptera: Agromyzidae) creates mines in leaves of Clematis vitalba , a significant environmental weed in New Zealand. Studies in Europe found that most leaves had one mine, but some had many; heavy mining deformed leaves and reduced photosynthetic area.; P. vitalbae was multi-voltine; fecundity averaged 521 eggs per fe...

Seed banks are a major factor in the persistence of perennial, woody, leguminous weed species. The longevity of seeds of Ulex europaeus, (gorse) in the soil at three sites was determined, and the implications of these results for the selection of biological control agents for the weed are discussed. Loca11y co11ected seeds were buried in bags at de...

Gorse (Ulex europaeus L.: Fabaceae) has been a serious weed in New Zealand for over 100 yr, and continues to invade pastoral land, forest plantations, and vulnerable nat- ural habitats. It has beneficial uses, but these are far outweighed by the costs. Gorse was once an important hedge plant, and until 1982, seed-feeding insects were the only biolo...

The biological control of old man's beard (Clematis vitalba L.) in New Zealand was initiated in 1989 with a field and a literature survey of insect herbivores in Europe. Agents were selected after host range testing of 40 selected native and exotic plant species. This was conducted in Switzerland and in an insect containment facility in New Zealand...

Australian acacias invade watersheds and riverbeds in South Africa, reducing water flows and threatening environmental and economic values. Acacia mearnsii is the most widespread and important weed but also forms the basis of an important industry. A. dealbata, and to a lesser extent A. decurrens are also problems. All belong to the Section Botryce...

Mist flower (Ageratina riparia (Regel) R. King and H. Robinson: Asteraceae) is an invasive weed that is widespread in tropical and warm temperate regions. It was intro- duced to New Zealand in the early 1930s and today is widespread in the North Island. Mist flower invades a range of habitats including native forests, where it can displace rare spe...

Cydia succedana (Denis & Schiffermuller) has been introduced into New Zealand for the biological control of gorse seeds (Ulex europaeus). Traps baited with a sex attractant were developed for monitoring the flight timing and number of adult male moths, and were used as a new tool for monitoring the establishment, phenology and efficacy of the agent...

Many biocontrol agents released against alien weeds and pests fail to establish in the field. Here, we ask whether better release strategies could improve the likelihood of successful establishment. A manipulative field experiment was used to investigate the relationship between the probability of establishment and the number of individuals release...

A number of arthropod species exotic to New Zealand have been purposefully introduced for biological control ofweeds. A smaller number of specialist weed-feeding insects have arrived accidentally and established here. These introductions have been beneficial to New Zealand through their deleterious impact on exotic weedy species. Recent purposeful...

The larvae of Agonopterix ulicetella (Stainton) (Lepidoptera: Oecophoridae) feed on the green foliage of gorse, Ulex europaeus L., and this insect is a potential biological control agent of this weed in New Zealand. The biology of the insect is described and its known parasitoids are listed. In experiments to measure oviposition preference, 46 plan...

Importations of biological control agents for insect pests and weeds in New Zealand are summarized and factors contributing to the relative success of the programmes are examined. The establishment rate of 30.9% is similar to that achieved worldwide, but is significantly lower than the rate achieved in the island habitat of Hawaii. The pioneering r...

Gorse,Ulex europaeus L. (Leguminosae), is a serious weed in New Zealand and some other temperate parts of the world.Tetranychus lintearius Dufour (Tetranychidae) has been released in New Zealand as a biological control agent for the weed. Before it could be introduced from Europe, it was necessary to show thatT. lintearius is reproductively isolate...

The host range ofTetranychus lintearius was examined experimentally to determine if the mite could be safely introduced into New Zealand for the biological control of gorse,Ulex europaeus (Leguminosae: Genisteae). The rationale for choosing test plants was the same as that employed for testing insect species as biological control agents. Outdoors,...

Gorse seed weevil, Apion ulicis Forst., was released into New Zealand in 1931 to help control gorse, Ulex europaeus L. This study examines the effect of the weevil in reducing annual seed production of gorse at three sites over 3 years. Weevils oviposited only during spring, and infested up to 90% of immature pods during that period. However, the m...

Calliscelio teleogrylli n.sp. is described, and with Probaryconus dubius (Nixon) is recorded in New Zealand for the first time. Both species are egg parasites of the black field cricket, Teleogryllus commodus (Walker). Both parasite species were found north of 39°S, but whether they occur throughout the range of the host is not known. Preliminary i...

Upton's work suggests that this coating has decreased the long-wavelength ultraviolet output of high pressure mercury vapour lamps from 3 to 1% of the initial wattage, and has removed it almost completely in the case of "blended" lamps. This means that all coated lamps which do not require a choke have low performance in light traps, and choked lam...

The woody shrub buddleia, Buddleja davidii Franchet, is an escalating weed problem for a number of resource managers in temperate regions. The plant's taxonomic isolation within the Buddlejaceae was seen as beneficial for its biological control in both Europe and New Zealand. However, the re-cent revision of the Scrophulariaceae has returned Buddle...