Hessian

Mayetiola destructor (Say) 1817 DEC11 Key Contact: Risk review for the cereal industry. grain Department of Agriculture and Government Food. of Western Australia. Reading: Further utilise weedand native grass species to complete its life cycle. capacity to establish over a geographic wide range throughout cereal cropping regions of Australia and considered an exotic high impact pest speciesAustralia. in Should it be introduced, the Hessianfly has the ( Classification Pest of a wheatplant (c); Fig. 1. Distribution: other midges native to Australia. cereal industry. It may also be confused with considered a biosecurity threat to Australia’s midge, It may be confused with the stem gall temperatures prolonging development. the pupa after 6 tillers. An adult wingedmidge emerges from and at the base of plants between stems or egg. Pupaemay be found within leaf sheaths pupate approx. 3 weeksafter hatching from cause stunting and death of plants. Larvae within leaf sheaths. This feeding damage may and feed on hidden parts of the plant such as cylindrical growing from 0.5 to 4.0 mm long veins. Hatched maggots are pale and cylindricalglossyred eggs are withinlaid leaf found on cereal or grass plants. Elongate, stages (egg, larvae, pupa, adult) may be similar in appearance to a mosquito. All4 life ThePest: Zealand. Not present in Australia. Europe then North America. Present in New a

:

adult Hessianfly (a); infested young seedlings (b); Hessianfly pupae (‘flaxseed stage’) at the crown hordei

M. destructor Mayetiola destructor Dustin Severtson Dustin : Native of Asia, transported to

- Szito Szito 33 days, with lower Hessianfly K: Animalia,P: Arthropoda, C: Insecta, O: Diptera, F: .

Photo credits: DustinSevertson, DAFWA. et al. et Pest of the month , , whichisalso

is a tiny fly (or midge)

(2007) (2007) Hessian Fly,

; e - mail: mail: [email protected];Phone: 9368(08) 3249 ) isa serious biosecurity threat to Australia’swheat industry.

b

Mayetiola Mayetiola destructor a time when are not present. infested plant material prior to sowingand sowing at most effective method of control is destruction of dressings have some efficacy in crops, however the presence of larvaeand pupae. Insecticide Cereal and grass plants may be inspected for the are effective in detecting the presence of adult flies. characters. differences in the male genitalia and other adults to species islevelbased on microscopic Detection and control: specimens and field situations iscrucial. cryptic nature, investigation of suspect plant material, high impact on cereal production and its tiny and lowered grain sizeand quality. Givenits potential seen in Europe and North America. It has also lodging. Severe losswheat in production has been Later infestations may result in stem weakening and releases digestive enzymes and stunts the plant. appear deepgreen in colour. However, the maggot Impact: many other grasses are secondary hosts. Host Range:

(Say) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) Cecidomyiidae) (Say) (Diptera: Pest Datasheet/Pest Wheat seedlings infested withHessianfly

Pheremone baits used with sticky traps – Wheat Wheat is the primary host. Cerealsand

November 2011 c

Identification Identification of

It It is Mayetiola