Pests

Animal pests, both vertebrates (backbone) and invertebrates (no backbone), can have an adverse impact on agriculture, the natural environment and even our lifestyle. Animal pests may be exotic animals which are introduced, either accidentally or deliberately. Native animals may also be pests in certain situations.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development manages pests in Western Australia through policy development, risk assessment, research and development, provision of technical advice and information, implementation of regulation, emergency response, property inspections, industry liaison, and the planning and coordination of significant species control/eradication programs.

For advice on pests 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.

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Articles

  • Red legged earth mite and Blue Oat mite

    Diagnosing mite damage in field peas

    23 April 2015

    Field peas are very susceptible to mite damage at the seedling stage.

  • Green peach aphid (top), bluegreen aphid (centre), cowpea aphid (below)

    Diagnosing aphid damage in field peas

    23 April 2015

    Small soft-bodied winged or wingless insects that damage field peas grown in Western Australia  through transmission of viruses rather than direct feeding damage.  Main species are pea aphid (A

  • Vegetable weevil (top), desiantha weevil

    Diagnosing weevils in lupins and field peas

    19 January 2015

    Weevils are beetles with long snouts that can  rarely damage lupins in high rainfall areas. Species include:

  • Vegetable beetle adult

    Diagnosing vegetable beetle damage

    17 February 2014

    A widespread beetle is mainly a pest of summer crops, but has seriously damaged young canola in southern districts, especially when there has been a warm start to the growing season.

  • Roots and underground portions of stems of the left plants are chewed giving a shredded appearance

    Diagnosing sandgropers

    4 December 2013

    A chewing pest living entirely underground that can affect young crops on red and yellow sands in the West Midlands.

  • Rutherglen bug adult

    Diagnosing rutherglen bug

    4 December 2013

    Sap-sucking insects that can damage crops and pastures that emerge in warm conditions. Often associated with mintweed after summer rain. Adults can contaminate canola at harvest.

     

  • Leaves wrinkled, twisted and rolled.

    Diagnosing seed gall nematode

    4 December 2013

    Very rare due to modern seed cleaning practices seed gall nematode seldom causes economic losses.

     

  • Lupin cotyledons become thickened and silvered

    Diagnosing balaustium mite

    4 December 2013

    Balaustium mite is a sucking pest of crops. Crops usually outgrow damage unless stressed.

  • Adults generally dull coloured moths with some species having metallic-looking markings on their wings.

    Diagnosing armyworm

    4 December 2013

    When barley crops are maturing in spring, large armyworm caterpillars climb plants and can chew through the stems causing the heads to fall to the ground.  Damage to wheat and oat crops occurs less

  • Fallen tillers caused by adult beetles chewing stems in spring.

    Diagnosing African black beetle

    4 December 2013

    A pest of cereals and perennial grasses, adult and larval African black beetles can cause economic damage to wheat and barley crops during autumn and winter on the south coast of Western Australia

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