GIANT PINE SCALE (MARCHALINA HELLENICA) NOT DETECTED IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

Giant pine scale, Marchalina hellenica, is a pest of pines, firs and spruce trees. Marchalina hellenica is endemic to Greece and was detected in Australia in both Melbourne and Adelaide in 2014. To support the national eradication response under the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed, surveillance was undertaken to determine if the scale was present in New South Wales (NSW). This included Public Participation in Scientific Research surveys (by the public) and targeted site inspections (by government staff). A total of 283 sites were inspected across metropolitan Sydney and regional NSW resulting in more than 3,300 trees inspected with no positive detections. Additionally, data from forest health surveys of commercial Pinus plantations in regional NSW were used to declare pest-free status, with no giant pine scale detected in 260 site inspections. New South Wales was declared free from Marchalina hellenica. An eradication response was mounted in Melbourne and Adelaide, although it was ultimately unsuccessful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]