Pest insects

Pest insects can have adverse and damaging impacts on agricultural production and market access, the natural environment, and our lifestyle. Pest insects may cause problems by damaging crops and food production, parasitising livestock, or being a nuisance and health hazard to humans.

Western Australia is free from some of the world's major pest insects. Biosecurity measures on your property are vital in preventing the spread of insects.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development provides:

  • biosecurity/quarantine measures at the WA border to prevent the entry of pest insects
  • where relevant post border biosecurity measures
  • advice on widespread pest insects present in the state.

For advice on pest insects search our website, the Western Australian Organism List or contact our Pest and Disease Information Service (PaDIS).

For diagnostic services, please contact our Diagnostic Laboratory Services.

Articles

  • Glassy-winged sharpshooter (Homalodisca vitripennis) is a sucking leafhopper known to be a vector to bacterium Xylella fastidiosa, which causes various serious plant diseases.

  • The larval stage of Spongy moth (Lymantria dispar) is a severe defoliator of a wide range of broadleaved trees and shrubs. This pest is not present in Western Australia.

  • The European earwig (Forficula auricularia) is native to Europe and has been in Australia from the mid-1850s.

  • Leaves chewed with transparent ‘windows’.

    A pest mainly of young legume pastures and broadleaf crops but can also affect cereals. Commonly observed on loam-clay soils.

  • Many exotic insect pests, not established in Western Australia (WA), are expert stowaways!

  • Native budworm (Helicoverpa punctigera) is a major pest of pulse and canola crops in the south west of Western Australia.

  • Aphids reduce yields by direct feeding damage which causes flower and pod abortion and occasionally plant death in lupins.

  • The pea weevil (Bruchus pisorum) in fact is a beetle, not a weevil and should really be called the pea beetle. It is one of the most damaging pests of field peas.

  • Adult and nymph aphids suck sap with large populations limiting grain yield and size, especially winter and spring infestations.

  • Aphids are common pests of canola in Western Australia. They suck sap from plants and can be found massed on growing points or lower leaves of canola, depending on the aphid species.

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