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We have identified vegetable weevils (Listroderes difficilis) for research officer, Geoff Davis (AgriTech Crop Research), who has found them attacking canola near Young, in the South West Slopes district of New South Wales. Geoff says plants showed clear signs of feeding damage including half eaten leaves and some leaves completely removed from the stems. Vegetable weevils have also been identified for agronomist, Sarah Heazlewood (Gorst Rural Supplies). Sarah says the weevils were found attacking several lupin crops near Lake Bolac in the Western district of Victoria. Plants were visibly damaged, consisting of scalloping on the cotyledons as well as damage to the hypocotyl beneath the soil surface. Damage resembling weevil feeding was also recently reported by agronomist, Allan Edis (AGnVET Services), in several canola crops west of Henty, in the Riverina district of New South Wales.
Vegetables weevils are dull brown-grey coloured beetles and have two short white angled ‘v-shaped’ markings near the middle of their back. They are approximately 8 mm long and have a very pronounced snout. Larvae are yellow to green in colour, with a flattened slug like body and a smallish brown head. Adult weevils hibernate over summer under debris or tree bark until autumn when they become active. They may then move into the edges of paddocks soon after crop emergence and are commonly found damaging germinating canola. Cereals and grasses are occasionally attacked.
A border spray at crop emergence can help control vegetable weevil before they move into paddocks. Controlling capeweed and marshmallow weeds early in the season may also assist in reducing crop damage. Checking seedling crops for the presence of larvae and adults is best achieved at night, when weevils typically feed. Rotating crops with non-host plants, implementing a long period of ‘weed-free’ fallow prior to sowing and planting susceptible crops away from previously affected areas, may all reduce the risk of invasion by weevils.
Click here for images of vegetables weevils.
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.
We need your reports
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.
PestFacts map
PestFacts map is an interactive tool that allows users to search and view historical pest reports across Victoria and NSW. The map is updated with each issue of PestFacts to include new reports.
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With appropriate acknowledgement, cesar grants permission to reproduce information taken directly from PestFacts. To cite PestFacts: “PestFacts south-eastern (<<enter date published>>). cesar pty ltd.”
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