Biosecurity alert - New Aphid Species Found
- By: "Farm Tender" News
- Cattle News
- Oct 09, 2017
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A new aphid species has been found in Tamworth, Breeza and Sydney.
Megoura crassicauda is an aphid that affects Vicia species - vetches, faba beans broad beans.
You are asked to inspect you vetch and faba bean crops for possible infestations. If you do find unusual aphid species please report this to your appropriate biosecurity agency.
Crop Host range: only Vicia (e.g. vetches, faba beans, and broad beans).
Known areas affected: near Tamworth, Breeza (Liverpool Plains) and Sydney - all sites have been small infestations in area but with large numbers of aphids. Further surveillance is being undertaken by New South Wales DPI in the growing areas of northern New South Wales.
Natural predators: Megoura crassicauda may be to toxic to natural aphid predators such as ladybirds. The effect of other natural predators is unknown.
Management: There are no current registered insecticides for this pest. Dimethoate is registered to control aphids in faba beans. Paraffinic oil is registered for use on faba beans and vetches to provide suppression of green peach aphid. Initial work conducted by New South Wales DPI using pirimicarb was efficacious. Permits are being applied for the use of pirimicarb, dimethoate,chlorpyrifos and lambda cyhalothrin in faba beans and vetch.
Impact on crops: Likely to cause yield loss where there are high populations. Megoura crassicauda is reported to have a narrow host range consisting mainly of Vicia species. In Australia, it has the potential to become a problem for faba bean and (very likely) vetches. Observations in New South Wales have shown a very large reproductive capacity. The discrete observations within a crop indicated that only a few aphids landed, but that these were able to build up to a large population in a short time.
Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881
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