1. The Greater Mary Association
Tenderly Tending Tingids (and
Jewel Beetles) at Tiaro

2. Our tunnel house and ongoing production made possible by
support from the BMRG, Federal DAFF and MRCCC and of
course our volunteer members

3. Why build a tunnel house?
• The first aim was to shelter and multiply Tingids in the
winter to get them started earlier
• When Jewel Beetles became available, the increase of
their numbers became the main aim.
• Since the first real releases in early 2013 the Tiaro
Tunnel house has supplied over 120 releases totalling
in excess of 8000 beetles, all in the Mary River
catchment
• The flood and then drought conditions in 2013 had a
big effect on success and the earlier break of the
season in 2014-15 season is showing much better
results- beetles have survived and are spreading.

4. Approximate cost $8000 plus labour

5. The inside of the Tunnel house

6. As the beetles and the tingids attack the Cat’s Claw Vine
it turns to something like this

7. And then to looking like this (if left long enough)

8. The pots are then removed from the tunnel house,
trimmed back, weeded, fertilized and put under a
sprinkler to regrow (7 days growth)

9. 15 days regrowth

10. Most plants survive several rotations. These are almost
ready to return.
Rotations are much longer in cooler months

11. Beetles are collected for
release using a 12v
vacuum to suck them
into a takeaway food
container which is then
fitted with a lid
containing a mesh
window
COLLECTING BEETLES FOR RELEASE

12. Beetle feeding effects on the trunk of a small tree
WHAT HAPPENS OUTSIDE THE TUNNEL
HOUSE IN THE WILD

13. Beetle feeding on the SE side of the trunk – well
established cat’s claw

14. Our wish is to be able to repeat the devastation of CCV shown in the tunnel house
out in the natural environment .
The most promising yet, this picture shows a small runner completely denuded by
beetles – a branch of the runner had actually withered and died.
The stripped
runner

15. In dry conditions with a shortage of green feed, grazing
cattle often remove a lot of the leaves of CCV that
beetles like to eat and reproduce on