PLANT PROTECTION 1 – Pests, Diseases and Weeds

PLANT PROTECTION 1 – Pests, Diseases and Weeds
METHOD OF
FEEDING
ADULT
NYMPH
All stages have chewing mouthparts and feed on the leaves of a
large variety of plant species. All species feed on the leaves of
trees and shrubs, although a few species are known to eat grasses.
PLANT
DAMAGE
Not really a horticultural or garden pest but at least three species are major
pests of eucalypt forests. Most species are uncommon, but some species reach
plague proportions at irregular intervals and defoliate forests.
DIRECT CHEWING DAMAGE.
LEAVES Eucalypts in forests may be completely defoliated. Several species
may reach plague numbers at irregular intervals. Rarely a
problem in urban areas.
INDIRECT DAMAGE.
Can give handlers a painful bite.
LIST OF SOME
SPECIES
Brock, P. D. and
Hasenpusch, J. W. 2009.
A Complete Field Guide
to Stick and Leaf Insects
of Australia. CSIRO
Publishing
COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME HOST RANGE
(not exhaustive)
Stick insects
Acrophylla spp.
Leaves of a wide range of
plants, usually solitary and
adult 36 cm long
rarely warrant removal.
Wülfing’s stick-insect, giant
walking stick (Acrophylla
wuelfingi) is often kept as a
pet
Goliath stick insect Eurycnema goliath Found over much of northern
Australia and down the east
coast. Females grow up to
25 cm
Plagues Ringbarker phasmatid Podocanthus wilkinsoni
Spiny leaf insect
adult 8 cm long
Extatosoma tiaratum
adult 20 cm long
Plagues Spurlegged phasmatid Didymuria violescens
Plagues
Endangered
Tessellated phasmatid
(Australia-wide)
Lord Howe Island stick
insect, land lobster
adult 18 cm long
Ctenomorphodes tessulatus
adult 22 cm long
Dryococelus australis
adult15 cm long
Became extinct and rediscovered
2001
Resembles a big brown
sausage with spiny legs
May reach plague
numbers and defoliate
whole eucalypt forests
Can cause significant damage
to eucalypt forests, but
rarely a garden pest. Also
feeds on Acacia spp., other
plants. Often kept as a pet.
May reach plague
numbers and defoliate
whole eucalypt forests. One
of the few pests which has
required aerial application
of an insecticide to protect
native forests from excessive
damage
May reach plague numbers
and defoliate whole eucalypt
forests, may kill forest red
gums (Eucalyptus tereticornis)
Associated with eucalypt
dieback. Also attacks
Allocasuarina, Lophostemon.
The ten -inch stick
(Ctenamorphodes briareus)
is often kept as a pet
The world’s oldest and
rarest species of insect
feeds on tea tree bushes.
Eggs and nymphs eaten by
introduced rats. Three insects
were found in 2001 on Balls
Pyramid, a volcanic rock
without rats, jutting out of the
sea north of Lord Howe island
194 Insects and allied pests - Phasmatodea (stick insects)