Life Sciences Commons^™

Selecting New Kinds Of Dung Beetles For Better Bush Fly Control, T J. Ridsdill-Smith

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Native dung beetles are found in south-western Australia, but they are largely restricted to areas of natural vegetation where they feed on dung pellets of marsupials.

When European man cleared the land, planted pastures and introduced cattle, he created a new type of environment which did not suit most native beetles. Cattle dung accumulated, and the bush fly Musca vetustissima, found this a very favourable breeding site.

In an attempt to correct this inbalance, other types of dung beetles addapted to living in open pastures are being introduced by CSIRO. These introduced beetles can reduce fly numbers by increasing the …

A 'Natural Herbicide' Against Calotrope?, A H. Cheam

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Buffel grass produces a chemical compound which is toxic to the growth of calotrope seedlings, a declared weed in Western Austrsalia north of the 26th parallel. This new discovery id highly significant in view of the increasing emphasis now placed on weed management as opposed to weed control and the desire to use fewer pesticides.