Biosecurity Commons^™

European House Borer Regulations, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity factsheets

Pinewood movement restrictions

To minimise the spread of EHB in Western Australia (WA), restrictions on the movement of pinewood were implemented in 2006, and currently apply to areas where EHB occurs. By restricting the movement of pinewood from EHB infested areas, EHB has been contained to Restricted Movement Zones (RMZs) in the greater Perth metropolitan area.

The restrictions are described in the Agriculture and Related Resources Protection (European House Borer) Regulations 2006.

The regulations allowed for the establishment of quarantine zones, Priority Management Zones (PMZs) and RMZs, and placed restrictions not only on untreated pinewood movement from PMZs and RMZs …

Australian Cleotychini Planthoppers: Review Of The Genus Cleotyche Emeljanov, 1997 With Three New Species (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Dictyopharidae), Jérôme Constant, Linda Semeraro, Melinda L. Moir

Biosecurity Research Articles

The genus Cleotyche in the monotypic Australian planthopper tribe Cleotychini (Fulgoroidea: Dictyopharidae) is reviewed. The subgenus Griseotyche subgen. nov. is described to accommodate one species Cleotyche blanda Emeljanov, 2011 while the second species, C. mariae Emeljanov, 1997, is retained in the subgenus Cleotyche (Cleotyche) Emeljanov, 1997. Three new species of Cleotyche (Cleotyche) from Queensland, C. (Cleotyche) christinae sp. nov. from Cania Gorge National Park, C. (Cleotyche) francescoi sp. nov. from Eurimbula National Park and C. (Cleotyche) montana sp. nov. from Blackdown Tableland National Park are described and compared to the …

Insecticide Resistance In Australian Spodoptera Frugiperda (J.E. Smith) And Development Of Testing Procedures For Resistance Surveillance, Lisa Bird, Melina M. Miles, Adam Quade, Helen Spafford

Biosecurity Research Articles

Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) is a highly invasive noctuid pest first reported in northern Australia during early 2020. To document current status of resistance in S. frugiperda in Australia, insecticide toxicity was tested in field populations collected during the first year of establishment, between March 2020 and March 2021. Dose-response was measured by larval bioassay in 11 populations of S. frugiperda and a susceptible laboratory strain of Helicoverpa armigera. Emamectin benzoate was the most efficacious insecticide (LC50 0.023μg/ml) followed by chlorantraniliprole (LC50 0.055μg/ml), spinetoram (LC50 0.098μg/ml), spinosad (LC50 0.526μg/ml), and methoxyfenozide (1.413μg/ml). Indoxacarb was the least toxic …

Rabbit Control: Rhdv1 K5, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity factsheets

The national release of the Korean strain of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus, RHDV1 K5, took place during the first week of March 2017. It was the first time in 20 years a new rabbit biocontrol agent had been released into Australia, and was part of a 20-year national biocontrol plan for rabbits. More than 600 release sites were selected, including 110 sites in Western Australia (WA).

RHDV1 K5 is a naturally occurring Korean variant of the rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV). Its release was expected to boost management and help slow the increase in rabbit numbers. RHDV1 K5 does not …

Native And Non-Native Sources Of Carbohydrate Correlate With Abundance Of An Invasive Ant, Lori Lach, Benjamin Hoffmann, Melinda L. Moir

Biosecurity Research Articles

Invasive species threaten many ecological communities and predicting which communities and sites are invasible remains a key goal of invasion ecology. Although invasive ants often reach high abundances in association with plant-based carbohydrate resources, the source and provenance of these resources are rarely investigated. We characterized carbohydrate resources across ten sites with a range of yellow crazy ant abundance in Arnhem Land, Australia and New Caledonia to determine whether yellow crazy ant (Anoplolepis gracilipes) abundance and trophic position correlate with carbohydrate availability, as well as the relative importance of native and non-native sources of carbohydrates to ant diet. …

Development And Testing Of A Standardized Method To Estimate Honeydew Production, Melinda L. Moir, Michael Renton, Benjamin Hoffmann, Mei Chen Leng, Lori Lach

Biosecurity Research Articles

Honeydew production by Hemiptera is an ecologically important process that facilitates mutualisms and increases nutrient cycling. Accurate estimates of the amount of honeydew available in a system are essential for quantifying food web dynamics, energy flow, and the potential growth of sooty mould that inhibits plant growth. Despite the importance of honeydew, there is no standardized method to estimate its production when intensive laboratory testing is not feasible. We developed two new models to predict honeydew production, one based on insect body mass and taxonomic family, and one based on body mass and life stage. We tested the accuracy of …

Radical Social Ecology As Deep Pragmatism: A Call To The Abolition Of Systemic Dissonance And The Minimization Of Entropic Chaos, Arielle Brender

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper aims to shed light on the dissonance caused by the superimposition of Dominant Human Systems on Natural Systems. I highlight the synthetic nature of Dominant Human Systems as egoic and linguistic phenomenon manufactured by a mere portion of the human population, which renders them inherently oppressive unto peoples and landscapes whose wisdom were barred from the design process. In pursuing a radical pragmatic approach to mending the simultaneous oppression and destruction of the human being and the earth, I highlight the necessity of minimizing entropic chaos caused by excess energy expenditure, an essential feature of systems that aim …

Sequence Analysis Of The Potato Aphid Macrosiphum Euphorbiae Transcriptome Identified Two New Viruses, Marcella A. Texeira, Noa Sela, Hagop S. Atamian, Ergude Bao, Rita Chaudhury, Jacob Macwilliams, Jiangman He, Sophie Mantelin, Thomas Girke, Isgouhi Kaloshian

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

The potato aphid, Macrosiphum euphorbiae, is an important agricultural pest that causes economic losses to potato and tomato production. To establish the transcriptome for this aphid, RNA-Seq libraries constructed from aphids maintained on tomato plants were used in Illumina sequencing generating 52.6 million 75±105 bp paired-end reads. The reads were assembled using Velvet/Oases software with SEED preprocessing resulting in 22,137 contigs with an N50 value of 2,003bp. After removal of contigs from tomato host origin, 20,254 contigs were annotated using BLASTx searches against the non-redundant protein database from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) as well as IntereProScan. …

Ecological And Organic Life Safety Concerns Of Hfo-1234yf, Alberni V. Ruiz

STAR Program Research Presentations

While at NOAA my research was directed by the inquiry of whether or not HFO-1234yf, a new compound being introduced into coolant system and replacing greenhouse gases HFC, is harmful to organic life. Using the computer program Matlab I was able to develop figures that represented the concentration of HFO-1234yf (HFO) in 12 different tower locations throughout the country. Comparing and contrasting concentrations of this HFO compound at each site led me to the question the possible harmful side effects this compound could bring to organic life due to the fact that concentration levels are increasing, with one factor being …

Exploration Of Chemical And Biological Management Strategies For Diaphorina Citri The Primary Vector Of Candidatus Liberibacter Asiaticus, Gretta Marie Sharp

Biology Theses

Diaphorina citri (Hemipteran: Psyllidae), the Asian citrus psyllid, is a phloem-feeding, invasive species endemic to southern Asia that was first identified in the United States in Florida in 1998. Since introduction, D. citri has spread across the major citrus growing regions of the United States. This is of great concern to the citrus industry because D. citri is the primary vector of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus the causal agent of Haunglongbing (HLB). Haunglongbing is the most economically devastating disease of citrus causing an estimated 8.92 billion dollars lost in revenue and 4.62 billion dollars lost in gross domestic product between 2006-2007 …

Effect Of Varied Disturbance Types On Dorylus (Anomma) Molestus Defensive Behavior In The West Usumbara Mountains, Tanzania., Ryan Mahar

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this study was to observe novel nest characteristics of Dorylus molestus (Siafu), as well as their defensive behavior in response to varied disturbance methods. The number of defensive soldiers at a specific section of a column was counted before and after each agitation. Varied agitation methods were used on columns without larvae presence to test how soldiers responded to different disturbance types. Disturbances on columns with larvae presence were compared to those on columns without larvae. Nest distribution, behavior, composition, and size were observed objectively. Mechanical disturbance was found to incite the greatest increase in defensive soldier …

Western Australia's Biosecurity, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia, Department Of Environment And Conservation, Western Australia, Department Of Fisheries, Western Australia, Forest Products Commission, Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

Biosecurity is the protection of the economy, environment and human health from the negative impacts of pests, weeds and diseases, including the management of invasive species if they become established (definition adopted by AusBIOSEC).

This requires steps to prevent the entry of harmful organisms, as well as the timely and efficient management of them if they do enter.

Biosecurity threats range from catastrophic diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease, which causes rapid and widespread animal deaths, to more subtle and slower spreading problems such as invasive weeds, mussels that foul vessel hulls and fungus-induced dieback disease of trees. These …

Barrow Island Ute Guide - Non-Indigenous Insects, Spiders And Snails, Mike Grimm, Kristofer Collett, Peter Davis, Marc Widmer, Andras Szito, Rob Emery, Peter Mangano

Biosecurity published reports

Barrow Island, the second largest island in Western Australia, is a Class A Nature Reserve and home to a variety of rare and endangered fauna and flora, some of which occur nowhere else. The island lies about 70 km off the north-west coast of Western Australia and 150 km west of Karratha.

Oil discoveries in the 1960s and the development of massive Northwest Shelf gas reserves since the 1990s made Barrow Island an important site for these industries. Strict environmental and quarantine conditions are placed on industry seeking permits to drill oil wells and construct gas processing plants. Oil production …

Letter From The Dean, Lalit Verma

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Common Seasonal Pests : Your Handy Guide To Prevent The Spread Of Animal And Plant Pests, Diseases And Weeds., Department Of Agriculture And Food, Wa

Bulletins 4000 -

This bulletin provides information on quarantine, common pests and common household pests in Western Australia. Details include identification, damage caused, seasonal occurance of pest, action to take, control measures, and where to seek advice.

Australian Plague Locust (Chortoicetes Terminifera), Department Of Agriculture And Food, Wa

Bulletins 4000 -

The Australian plague locust (APL) is the most economically important grasshopper in Australia. The immature hopper stage damages mainly pastures in farming areas, and gardens and lawns in domestic areas. They tend to avoid established green crops, although the edges of crops can be damaged. Adult locusts can form swarms and fly into other areas, damaging pastures, ripening cereal, lupin and pulse crops, grapevines, fruit trees and native tree seedlings. If crops have completely dried off before locusts begin flying, the possibility of damage is considerably less.

Bulletin 4385 - Control Of Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Medfly) In Commercial Orchards, Sonya Broughton, Francis De Lima

Bulletins 4000 -

The Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly) is thought to originate from tropical Africa. It is a pest in many areas of the world including Western Australia. It was first detected at Claremont in 1895 and is now found as far south as Esperance and as far north as Derby. The main area of infestation extends from Carnarvon to Bunbury.

Medfly is known to infest over 200 fruit and vegetable species. In Western Australia, stone fruit, pome fruit, citrus, guavas, figs and loquats are particularly susceptible.

Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus And Its Management, Lindrea Latham, Roger Jones

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

In 1993, western flower thrips, an important pest of horticultural crops, was found in Western Australia. Since then there has been an upsurge in damsging virus disease epidemics caused by tomato spotter wilt virus in horticultural crops. This has occurred because western flower thrips is a more effective vector of tomato spotted wilt virus than other thrips species. Lindrea Latham and Roger Jones outline the symptoms, spread and management of this serious virus disease in vegetables and ornamentals.

A Field Study Of The Predatory Mite Metaseiulus Occidentalis Overwintering In Apple Orchards In The South West Of Western Australia, K. J. Lacey

Horticulture published reports

The twospotted mite (Tetranychus urticae) is one of the major pests of horticultural crops in Australia, and can cause severe damage in deciduous tree fruit crops such as apples, pears and peaches if left unchecked (Seymour 1982).

This study was conducted to determine whether the predatory mite Metaseiulus occidentalis, once introduced into orchards in the south west of Western Australia, could survive through the winter period and repopulate the orchard the following season. Two orchards in the Manjimup region where M. occidentalis had been released in the early summer of 1990/91, were selected for the study.

On-tree shelters were placed …

Bulletin 4265 - Termites, Peter Davis

Bulletins 4000 -

Termites are small, soft-bodied, social insects that feed on wood, grass, dead leaves, bark, humus, fungi or the dung of herbivore. They are commonly known as white ants, but are not related to true ants.

There are over 2300 species of termite of which about350 occur in Australia, and of these about 12 damage sound timber.

Bulletin 4241 - Chemical Control Of Insect Pests In Field Crops And Pastures, T. P. Quinn, G. P. Mangano, P. J. Michael

Bulletins 4000 -

Chemicals currently registered in Western Australia for use against pests of field crops and pasture are given in the table below. Trade names are listed alongside each chemical formulation.

Department of Agriculture Bulletin 4185 "Insect and allied pests of extensive fanning" will help you identify the pest(s) through coloured photographs, descriptions and keys. Information on the type of damage, life cycle and control is also provided. Further information is available in Farmnotes on specific pests and on pests of a particular crop.

The Poison Schedule for each product is indicated in the table. Extremely toxic chemicals are labelled as "dangerous …

Quarantine Disinfestation A Bibliography With Relevance To Ornamental Plant Material, Kevin Seaton, Daryl Joyce

Biosecurity published reports

This bibliography has been compiled as part of a programme to develop new and improved techniques for the insect disinfestation of export cut-flowers and cut-foliage. The objective of the programme is to identify the most effective disinfestation treatments. Suitable treatments should kill insects in the flowers without directly injuring the flowers or reducing their postharvest life.

The bibliography presents references relating to the disinfestation of ornamental material (i.e. cut-flowers, cut-foliage, and potted plants). However, it also includes references on disinfestation of fruit, vegetables, and stored grain where this information has some relevance to the disinfestation of ornamental materials. The bibliography …

A Spray Programme For Table Grape Production In Western Australia, I. J. Cameron, P. Wood, A. Sproul

Viticulture published reports

This bulletin details the main sprays that can be used in table grape vineyards in Western Australia. Growers are advised to refer to the manufacturer's label for detailed recommendations since rates vary according to formulation. New chemicals are continually being marketed and any omissions are regretted and no preferences for any material or supplier is implied.

The European Wasp : A New Threat To W.A, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

The European wasp was detected in Western australia for the first time in January and February 1977 in the metropolitan suburbs of Mosman Park, Cottesloe and Attadale.

So far it has only been found within an area of 8 km radius from Fremantle but the outer boundries of the infestation are still uncertain.

It is Department of agriculture policy to eradicate the European wasp, if possible, and to destroy all nests detected.

A New Approach To Grain Insect Control, G D. Rimes, M. T. Sexton

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

Western Australian farmers now have a legal responsibility to control stored grain insects on their farms.

Ten species of insects, usually referred to collectively as 'weevils', have been 'declared' under the Agriculture and Related Resources Act.

In Western Australia, grain storage insects are not found in standing cereal crops. Thus, it should be possible to set up a clean delivery "pipeline" from the paddock to the C.B.H. bin.

W.A. Alert For Aphid On Lucerne, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

The spotted alfalfa aphid which is devastating lucerne crops in the Eastern States, could be introduced to Western Australia on lucerne hay which is fed en route to imported livestock. The Department of Agriculture has therefore alerted all inspection points about the possible danger.

The Department of Agricultureis maintaining traps specifically for the aphid, and has found no evidence of it yet.

Fruit Fly Control In Table Grapes, Western Australian Department Of Agriculture

Viticulture factsheets

Fruit fly can be a major pest for commercial table grape growers and may result in serious financial loss if adequate control measures are not taken. Unless a concentrated effort is made by all growers, fruit fly will remain a problem.

Sorghum Midge : Threat To Re-Cycle Cropping, D G. Shedley

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

SORGHUM midge is one of the most widespread and persistent pests of any crop, Under suitable conditions, the midge can halve the yield of grain sorghum crops.

Simple Treatment Will Protect Farm-Stored Grain, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

WITH unusually large quantities of grain likely to be stored on farms this season, 1970 will be an important year for the control of pests in stored grain.

Infested grain from farms is responsible for almost all outbreaks of infestation in bulk storages, leading to costly treatment by the grain handling authority. Effective control on the farm would eliminate most of this.

Why Australia Needs Plant Quarantine, A T. Gulvin

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

LATE blight of potatoes in 1830, powdery mildew of grapes in 1847, phylloxera in 1861, downy mildew in 1875, and black rot in 1838 . . . It was this grim list of plant disease epidemics in Europe that forced Governments to protect plants by quarantine.