Please report locust sightings and listen to DPIRD’s new locust and grasshopper podcast
- Northern grainbelt
- Eastern central grainbelt
Australian plague locust (APL) activity continues to be observed in the northern and eastern central grainbelt with bands of APL hoppers active over most of this vast area (see the PestFax map below). You can generate up to date maps of APL sightings reported in WA by visiting DPIRD’s PestFax map page.
Numerous bands of APL crossing roads have been reported mostly consisting of 2nd to 4th instar hoppers. With daytime temperatures predicted to reach above 20oC, these instars are expected to progress to adults in the next fortnight to a month.
Female locusts, when they reach sexual maturity, need to feed on green plant material before they mate and lay eggs. It is expected that the soft finish this spring in large parts of the grain growing areas will lead to green bridges being present over November and December. It’s predicted that adult locusts will move across the landscape which may result in them feeding on green pastures, late sown crops and a range of town and social amenities (ie sports ovals and gardens).
Surveillance
DPIRD is continuing to monitor the APL situation in WA. However, the forecasting of risk for crops in 2022 will rely heavily on observations from industry and DPIRD staff so if you do see any APL please report this activity using the Pestfax reporter app. Any additional information that can be provided with reports, such as size of the APL and numbers, would also be very helpful.
Podcast
DPIRD has released a new podcast about APLs and grasshoppers. In this podcast, DPIRD research scientist Svetlana Micic discusses how to identify APLs and native grasshoppers, why it’s important to correctly distinguish the two and the best control methods for these pests.
To listen to this podcast visit the Grower Group Alliance Grains podcast page.
More APL information can be found at DPIRD’s:
- 2021 PestFax Issue 20 article Locust and grasshopper update and risk outlook for 2022
- 2021 PestFax Issue 14 article Australian plague locust: spring hatchings predicted
- Diagnosing locusts and grasshoppers in crops page
- Australian plague locust: overview page.
For more information contact Research scientist Svetlana Micic, Albany on +61 (0)8 9892 8591.
Article authors: Svetlana Micic (DPIRD Albany) and Cindy Webster (DPIRD Narrogin).