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Bryobia mites prefer warmer weather; their populations typically decline naturally over winter.
An adult Bryobia mite (Source: cesar).
The dry, mild conditions experienced in much of Victoria and southern NSW during autumn have been optimal for Bryobia mite (Bryobia spp.) activity. Long, white feeding trails characteristic of Bryobia mite feeding damage have been observed in canola, vetch, and barley in the Victorian Mallee and the NSW Central West Slopes and Plains.
The observed damage has been accompanied by sighting of these tiny mites (~0.75 mm). Bryobia mites can be recognised by their flat, ‘pie-shaped’ bodies, which can vary between dark grey, orange and olive in colour, and their 8 red-orange legs, of which the front two are distinctively long.
There are no economic thresholds to guide growers in deciding when chemical control of Bryobia mites is warranted.
If seedlings are infested with low populations, keep in mind that numbers should naturally decline with the arrival of cooler temperatures, and therefore may not require spraying.
If infestations are overwhelming seedlings, especially water-stressed crops, ensure you have identified the mite correctly before spraying. This is particularly important because recommended chemicals (and rates) used against other mites might be ineffective against Bryobia mites.
Are you seeking further information on this pest? Visit our comprehensive Bryobia mite PestNote.
Field reports of Bryobia mites
Rohan Brill – NSW DPI (Riverina, NSW)
Neil Durning – Riverina Independent Agronomy (Riverina, NSW)
Craig Muir – AGRIvision (Mallee, NSW)
Warwick Nightingale – Delta Agribusiness (Riverina, NSW)
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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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.
How to acknowledge PestFacts?
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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