Painted apple moth
(PAM) eat many of New Zealand's most important native trees. These trees provide
habitats for a range of animals from kiwi and kaka to land snails. Their destruction
would be a disaster.
Pictured on the left is a U2 spy-plane image of forest ravaged by gypsy moth
(areas in blue). This could be the fate of New Zealand forests if PAM were to
become established.
Species eaten by PAM:
Beech forest (Nothofagus species) PAM eats at least three
of the five native beeches. Southern beech forests are home to many endangered
species including kaka, mistletoes, kakariki/parakeet, carnivorous land snails
and three kiwi species.
Kahikatea (Dacrydium dacrydioides) New Zealand's largest native
tree growing over 60 metres.
Kanuka (Kunzea ericoides) an important tree for stabilizing
land from slips.
Karaka (Corynocarpus laevigatus) a common coastal tree in
the North Island, often planted by Maori in coastal orchards for their large
orange fruits.
Karamu (Coprosma robusta) a small tree with copious small
orange berries which attract birds.
Kauri (Agathis australis). Even the massive trunk of the kauri
is no defence against PAM.
Kohekohe (Dysoxylum spectabile) is an important food for kereru
(wood pigeons).
Kohuhu (Pittosporum tenuifolium)a common hedge and
garden plant.
Kowhai (Sophora species) Two species of New Zealand's national
tree, the kowhai, are eaten by PAM.
Mangrove (Avicennia marina var. resinifera) an important
plant which stabilises sediments from land run-off and provides breeding areas
for fish.
Manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) an important plant in native
forest regeneration which also has medicinal uses and is important to the
honey industry.
Miro (Prumnopitys ferruginea) kereru feed and distribute this
forest tree's seeds.
Native tree brooms (Carmichealia species) PAM eats a range
of native tree brooms which are some of our most colourful and aromatic plants,
many already threatened with extinction due to habitat loss.
Rimu (Dacrydium cupressinum) one of the forest giants which
has already been heavily logged for timber nationwide.
Totara (Podocarpus totara) slow growing forest trees which
can be more than 1,000 years old.
Painted apple moth
(PAM) eat many of New Zealand's most important native trees. These trees provide
habitats for a range of animals from kiwi and kaka to land snails. Their destruction
would be a disaster.
