Myrica faya: potential biological control agents

Reports were scanned in black and white at a resolution of 600 dots per inch and were converted to text using Adobe Paper Capture Plug-in.Myrica faya, an aggressive alien tree or shrub infesting Hawaiian forests, is native to the Azores, Madeira, and the Canary Islands, island groups in the north Atlantic Ocean. An exploratory trip to these regions was made in search of potential biocontrol agents. This species was found to be generally abundant in these islands, comprising prominent portions of native forests. Myrica faya also readily encountered in waste areas and old pastures, hedgerows, and roadsides. Several diseases and insects were found to attack M. faya, some of which were capable of causing severe damage in local areas. However, M. faya populations in general did not appear limited by attacks of such agents. Nevertheless, since insect or pathogen behavior may be influenced by new environments as is the host itself, it is recommended that further study be directed at determining the biocontrol potential in Hawaii for certain of the insects and diseases observed in the native habitats of M. faya.National Park Service Cooperative Park Studies Unit; Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlif