Fireblight Beetles @ Moses creek track WOJ

Tasmania specific bushwalking discussion.
Forum rules
Tasmania specific bushwalking discussion. Please avoid publishing details of access to sensitive areas with no tracks.

Fireblight Beetles @ Moses creek track WOJ

Postby Twilson » Tue 18 Jan, 2022 7:07 am

Hi everyone,

Came out of a 3 day Rogoona circuit via the Moses creek/ grail falls track on Sunday (great walk BTW). Couldn't help but marvel at the dieback in the silver wattle forest around Jackson's creek. We initially put it down to fire damage from 2016 but we also noticed lots of lady beetle type bugs on us when we got to road end.

My walking buddy did a bit more digging and he ID'd them as fireblight beetles Peltoschema orphana. I'm aware that they're nothing new to Tasmania but I've certainly never come across this level of noticeable damage. This section of forest is what it is having so much disturbance from fire and forestry but I thought that perhaps putting a post up here would be a good idea as its such a popular track that the potential for people to track them out of here and into a new section of wattle forest is quite high.

Check your gear!

Link to online field guide photos: https://tasmanianinsectfieldguide.com/hexapoda/insectsoftasmaniacoleoptera/insectsoftasmaniacoleoptera-suborder-polyphaga/superfamily-chrysomeloidea/chrysomelidae-leaf-beetles/subfamily-chrysomelinae/genus-pyrgoides/peltoschema-orphana/
Twilson
Nothofagus gunnii
Nothofagus gunnii
 
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat 25 Nov, 2017 11:11 pm
Location: Hobart
Region: Tasmania

Return to Tasmania

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 32 guests