Gardner-Gee, R., & Beggs, J.R. 2008 The impact of honeydew on the behaviour of sugar-feeding animals in regenerating forest, Auckland, New Zealand.. Proceedings of the XI International Symposium on Scale Insect Studies, Oeiras, Portugal, 24-27 September 2007. ISA Press Lisbon, Portugal 322 pp.

Notes: Abstract: New Zealand kanuka (Myrtaceae: Kunzea ericoides) is often heavily infested by the endemic honeydew-producing scale insect Coelostomidia wairoensis (Hemiptera: Coelostomidiidae). In summer, the honeydew standing crop can exceed the kanuka nectar standing crop and hence honeydew has the potential to disrupt the sugar economy operating in kanuka stands by providing an alternative food resource for nectar-feeding animals. In this study, animal visitation rates and feeding rates were recorded on infested and un-infested kanuka over the kanuka flowering period. It was predicted that honeydew would attract sugar consumers and that scale insect infestation would alter visitation patterns to kanuka flowers. These predictions were not supported by the study data. Despite the presence of abundant honeydew, fewer animals were observed feeding on honeydew than on nectar and social wasps were the only group that showed a strong response to the honeydew resource. Floral visitation patterns did not differ between infested and un-infested trees. Overall these results suggest that the presence of honeydew does not affect the kanuka sugar economy directly and it appears that few animal species utilise honeydew. Possible explanations for this low rate of utilisation are examined.