A-Z list of horticultural insect pests

  • Avocado leaf roller

    Read about the Avocado leaf roller pest and the damage it does to avocados, custard apples, coffee, tea and other crops in North Queensland and learn how to control it.

  • Banana aphid

    Information on the Banana aphid insect pest which can spread banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) including description, distribution, hosts, damage and controls.

  • Banana flower thrips

    Information on the Banana flower thrip insect pest, which is found throughout the banana-growing districts.

  • Banana fruit caterpillar

    Banana fruit caterpillar (Tiracola plagiata), insect pest of banana and citrus, description of adult, life cycle, hosts, damage, control options, distribution.

  • Banana rust thrips

    Information on the Banana rust thrip. Bananas are the main host, although the Banana rust thrip has been found in citrus and in some native plants.

  • Banana scab moth

    Banana scab moth (Nacoleia octasema) insect pest of bananas.Description, life cycle, host range, damage and control options.

  • Banana spider mite

    Banana spider mite (Tetranychus lambi) the most important and widespread mite pest of bananas. Description, life cycle, host range, damage and control options.

  • Banana weevil borer

    Banana weevil borer (Cosmopolites sordidus), insect pest of genus Musa inclu. banana (M. sapientum) and abaca (M. textilis).Description, damage,control methods.

  • Banana-silvering thrips

    Information on the Banana-silvering thrip insect pest, which affects bananas, chokos, passionfruit and a number of weed species.

  • Banana-spotting bug

    Banana-spotting bug (Amblypelta lutescens lutescens) insect pest of wide range horticultural crops. Decription, life cycle, damage and control options.

  • Bean blossom thrips

    Information on Bean blossom thrips, which affect French beans.

  • Black scale

    Black scale (Saissetia oleae) insect pest of olives, citrus and gardenia, distributed throughout Queensland. Description, life cycle, damage and control options.

  • Cicada

    Cicada (Macrotristria dorsalis) insect pest, including description, life cycle, distribution, damage, host range, and control measures.

  • Citrus mealybug

    Citrus mealybug (Planococcus citri) is a major and frequent pest of many fruit and ornamentals throughout Australia. Description, life cycle, damage and control.

  • Clearwing borer

    independently. Description Clearwing borer (Carmenta chrysophanes) insect pest in all lychee and longan growing areas in Queensland. Description, life cycle, host range, damage, control.

  • Corn earworm and native budworm

    Information and control options for the corn earworm and native budworm insect pests.

  • Cryptic mealybug

    Cryptic mealybugs pose a significant threat to a range of Australian horticultural industries. Description, life cycle, damage and control.

  • Diamondback moth

    Diamondback moth insect pest information and control options.

  • Eggfruit caterpillar

    Information on the Eggfruit caterpillar. Eggplant is the main commercial host but it also occasionally attacks tomato, capsicum and pepino.

  • Elephant beetle

    Elephant beetle (Xylotrupes gideon) is a pest of pineapple, longan and lychee. Exclude beetles with net or remove manually. There is no chemical control.

  • Fall armyworm

    Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is an exotic pest that has been detected in Queensland. It is reported to feed on more than 350 plant species, including sweet corn.

  • False spider mite

    False spider mite (Brevipalpus sp.) is minor pest of a variety of fruit crops.Predatory mites control numbers but if fruit loss is high, consider treatment.

  • Flower eating caterpillar

    Flower eating caterpillar information and control options.

  • Fruit piercing moth

    Fruit piercing moth information and control options.

  • Fruit-spotting bug

    Fruit-spotting bug information and control options.

  • Giant grasshopper

    Giant grasshopper (Valanga irregularis) damages a variety of plants inclu. coffee and citrus. Chemical control may be used to spot spray heavily infested areas.

  • Green vegetable bug

    Species fact sheet - Green vegetable bug, Nezara viridula.

  • Helopeltis

    Information on the Helopeltis pest in Queensland, including impacts, distribution and control methods.

  • Loopers

    Loopers insect pest information, including description distribution, damage, and control options.

  • Lychee erinose mite

    Lychee erinose mite (Aceria litchii) is a serious pest of lychee foliage, flowers and fruit.Control can be achieved with a strict program of suitable miticides.

  • Macadamia nutborer

    Macadamia nutborer (Cryptophlebia ombrodelta) damages lychee, logan, macadamia and many ornamentals. Control many be manages by biological and chemical methods.

  • Mango seed weevil

    Mango seed weevil (Sternochetus mangiferae), a minor pest with no serious economic damage to fruit. Control programes use quarantine, hygiene and chemical spray.

  • Mango shoot caterpillar

    Mango shoot caterpillar (Penicillaria jocosatrix) is a minor and frequent pest of mango and cashew in late summer. Control should coincide with growth flushes.

  • Mound forming termites

    Mound forming termites (Nasutitermies spp) can affect cashew, mango and citrus grown in drier areas but are usually not a problem in well-managed crops.

  • Orange fruit borer

    Orange fruit borer (Isotenes miserana) is a minor and sporadic pest of a variety of fruit crops in coastal Queensland.Use chemical sprays when numbers indicate.

  • Oriental scale

    Oriental scale (Aonidiella orientalis) is a minor pest of a wide range of crops and ornamentals. Infestations are best treated with biological control agents.

  • Passionvine bug

    Passionvine bug (Leptoglossus australis) is a minor but frequent pest of many fruit crops crops and some cucurbits. No chemcial control is currently available.

  • Pink wax scale

    Pink wax scale (Ceroplastes rubens) is a minor and frequent pest of many tropical fruit crops but is well managed with a range of biological controls.

  • Potato moth

    Potato moth (Phthorimaea operculella) is a serious pest of tomatoes and is usually supressed by parasitoids. Avoid planting adjacent to susceptible crops.

  • Queensland fruit fly

    Queensland fruit fly (Bactrocera tryoni) is a major pest of many fruits in eastern Australia. Chemcial sprays, parasitoids and orchard hygiene may be used.

  • Red scale

    Red scale (Aonidiella aurantii) infests a range of hosts including citrus, passionfruit. Biological control is crucial so spray only if infestation is high.

  • Red-shouldered leaf beetle

    Information on the Red-shouldered leaf beetle insect pest.

  • Root-knot nematode

    Root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne spp, is a problem in many crops especially tomatoes. Plant resistant varieties and use crop rotation, nematicides for control.

  • Silverleaf whitefly

    Information on the Silverleaf whitefly insect pest.

  • Soft brown scale

    Information on the Silverleaf whitefly insect pest.

  • Stem girdlers

    Stem girdlers are ring-barking weevils involving at least three weevil species causing sporadic damage in all lychee/longan districts. There is no control.

  • Sugarcane bud moth

    Sugarcane bud moth (Opogona glycyphaga) affects bananas with crops planted close to sugarcane suffering more. Dust with chemical when applying bunch cover.

  • Swarming leaf beetles

    Information on the Swarming leaf beetle insect pest.

  • Tomato russet mite

    Tomato russet mite (Aculops lycopersici) affect tomato, chilli and capsicum. Maintain good farm hygiene and destroy old crops and weeds, spray when appropriate.

  • Two-spotted mite

    Two-spotted mite (Tetranychus urticae) has a wide host range and can be a sign of excessive insecticide use. Manage with predatory mites and limited spraying.

  • Wireworm-true and false

    Information on the Wireworm (true and false) insect pests.

Last updated: 10 Feb 2017