Media release : 29th April 2008
Asian Lady beetles have been found in Bunbury thanks to an alert member of the public who spotted them on imported excavation equipment.
Department of Agriculture and Food Biosecurity officer Brian Smith said the bugs were all dead, showing that import quarantine controls had been effective.
“We were pleased that a member of the public spotted them and identified them as unusual ladybirds, reporting the find to the Department,” Mr Smith said.
“The machinery was inspected, and samples sent to the Department™s entomology section where they were identified as Asian lady beetles (Harmonia axyridis), also known as the multicoloured Asian lady beetle,” he said.
Mr Smith said the Department believed it was the first recorded incident of this pest in Australia.
“If established, this ladybird beetle has the potential to spread quickly, as it has done in Canada, USA and Europe where they were introduced as biological control agents for aphid pests,” Mr Smith said.
“Asian lady beetles can be a beneficial bug in the right environment, but can also target a very large range of other endemic arthropods, including insects such as native ladybirds and lacewings,” he said.
“If they were to become established in Western Australia, they would be impossible to eradicate, and would have the potential to interrupt natural biological control systems so important in the natural environment and in organic farming practices.”
Mr Smith said the public could report any unusual sightings of strange insects to the Department of Agriculture and Foods Pest and Disease Information Service on 1800 084 881 or email info@agric.wa.gov.au.
Asian lady beetle
Media Contacts
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Brian Smith |
9780 6175 / 0427 387 412 |
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Katrina Bonser/Lisa Bertram, media liaison |
9368 3937/9368 3325 |