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Following the last issue of PestFacts, we have received another report of whitefringed weevils (Naupactus leucoloma) attacking lucerne in central New South Wales. Grower, Phil Apps, reports high numbers of adult whitefringed weevils in an established lucerne paddock at Cowra, in the Central Tablelands district. Phil says they have almost completely destroyed 6 ha of a paddock, which is in its second year of lucerne.
Adult whitefringed weevils grow to about 15 mm long and are grey-brown in colour with a characteristic white stripe running along either side of the body. Larvae are fat, legless grubs that live in the soil and feed predominantly on the tap-roots of plants, generally from late autumn to early summer. They have a yellowish body with a light-brown head and can be up to 13 mm long. Crops likely to be attacked include lucerne, pastures and some pulses.
There are currently no insecticides registered to control whitefringed weevils in lucerne. In addition to this, insecticides used to control other pests are unlikely to control whitefringed weevil larvae (which are typically more damaging than the adults) given their subterranean feeding habits. Rotating affected paddocks with non-preferred host crops (e.g. canola) may be the most effective means of control.
Click here for images of whitefringed weevils and refer to PestFacts Issue No. 1 for more information.
What is PestFacts?
PestFacts south-eastern keeps growers and advisers informed about invertebrate pests and beneficials in broadacre crops and pastures during the winter-cropping season in Victoria and southern New South Wales.
PestFacts south-eastern is run through IPMforGrains: Best Practice Insect Pest Management, a project delivered by the National Pest Information Network (cesar, DPIRD, QDAF, NSW DPI, and SARDI). This project aims to provide grain growers and advisors with information on invertebrate grain pest occurrence and equip industry with the knowledge needed to implement integrated pest management practices. This initiative is a GRDC investment and includes in-kind contributions from all project partner organisations.
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PestFacts is produced on an ʻas-needsʼ basis and relies upon pest observations and field reports from our subscribers. If you have recently observed invertebrate pests (or beneficial species) in broadacre crops, please contact us to report your observations.
Agricultural invertebrate identification
If you are a grower or agronomist in Victoria or NSW working with broadacre crops or pastures, we can assist you with identifying invertebrates found on farms at no cost. Please contact us for identification help.
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