Fruit Tree Borer Maroga Melanostigma is a native lepidopteran insect (moth) that attacks and disfigures deciduous ornamentals during the caterpillar stages of the insect’s lifecycle. Caterpillars feed primarily on the phloem or outer bark with incursions into the xylem, sapwood.
Considerable damage and disfigurement are a result from these activities. Key indicators are Frass (sawdust) ringbarking, branch dieback and trunk honeycombing are typical and seen in targeted ornamentals. Please read our Fruit Tree Borer Factsheet for more information.
Treatment with Ema-ject® formulation
Micro injection with Ema-ject® will arrest further damage, its active ingredient Emamectin Benzoate has high activity on lepidopteran or moth insects. Ema-ject® is the only tree injectable form of this chemistry in Australia and the only effective tree injectable with lepidopteran activity.
Ema-ject® is a water-soluble novel formulation with high systemicity, it is able to translocate within the tree framework targeting caterpillars as they feed.
The APVMA has issued Environmental Tree Technologies with a permit for its legal use in deciduous ornamentals.
Permit number PER90968
Example of treatment with the NSW local government.
A regional NSW council has successfully treated a significant avenue of Maples with Ema-ject. The primary aim is to control the spread of fruit tree borer and maintain amenity value of the asset. If left untreated this tree and others within the avenue would need removal and replacement. No new incursions and no new frass were evident post treatment, typical control period 2 years. Tree monitoring and images were supplied by council, further council progress updates pending.
At treatment November 26 th , 2021,
Post treatment February 14 th , 2022, no new frass
