By Kym McIntyre, Grains Biosecurity Officer, Queensland
While state and federal governments have put many measures in place to reduce the risk of hitchhiker pests such as khapra beetle entering and spreading in Australia, it is impossible to inspect every item that enters the country.
Unlike endemic stored grain pests, khapra beetles do not fly, so the most likely place for them to show up on the farm is not in the stored grain in the silo but in something that humans bring to the farm – for example, in groceries, deliveries or new equipment including household white goods.
To protect your farm, vigilance is vital. Look closely and take care to:
Khapra beetle are oval-shaped and about 1.6 to 3 millimetres long. They are light-yellow brown to dark brown in colour.
The adult beetles have many fine hairs and indistinct markings on their wing covers. Larvae tend to be larger than the beetle, ranging from 1.6 to 4.5mm long, golden brown in colour, and have distinctive hairs across the body, including longer hairs at the end of the body that resemble a tail.
There are a number of native Trogoderma species in Australia and it can be difficult to distinguish between them and khapra beetle. If you find something similar, it is important to get it identified.
Call 1800 084 881 to report a plant pest.
More information: Kym McIntyre, kym.mcintyre@daf.qld.gov.au
* The original article was published in the Groundcover Supplement: Biosecurity – A Shared Responsibility, September-October 2022