This document is part of a larger publication “I Spy – Insects of Southern Australian Broadacre Farming Systems Identification Manual and Educational Resource” (ISBN 978-0-6482692-1-2) produced under the National Invertebrate Pest Initiative (NIPI) and is subject to the disclaimers and copyright of the full version from which it was extracted. The remaining sections and the full version of this publication, as well as updates and other legal information, can be found at https://grdc.com.au/ by searching for “I SPY”. 2018 © The development of this edition of I SPY has been possible due to the financial support from: Insects of Southern Australian Broadacre Farming Systems Identification Manual and Education Resource Education Resource Manual and Identification Systems Farming Insects Broadacre of Southern Australian SECTION 4 Common Pest, Beneficial and Exotic Species Moths & Butterflies . 2 Armyworms . 4 Legend Cutworms . 7 Budworms . 11 Crop type Diamondback moth . 13 Lucerne seed web moth . 15 Cereals Beetles . 17 Cockchafers . 19 Canola (& Brassicas) True wireworms . 24 False wireworms . 26 Pulses & legumes Weevils . 28 Ladybird beetles . 31 Pasture Carabid beetles (or Ground beetles) . 33 Bugs . 35 Monitoring type Figure 4.1 An example of an aphid lifecycle (Aphis sp.) . 37 Figure 4.2 Persistent versus non-persistent transmission of viruses . 38 Observation Table 4.1 Some aphids known to transmit viruses in pulse crops . 38 Cereal aphids - Corn aphid, Oat aphid & Russian wheat aphid . 39 Sweep net Canola aphids - Cabbage aphid, Turnip aphid & Green peach aphid . 42 Pulse aphids - Blue green aphid, Pea aphid, Cow-pea aphid & Yellow sticky trap Green peach aphid . 45 Sunn pest . 47 Yellow pan trap Damsel bugs (or Nabids) . 49 Predatory bugs - Predatory shield bugs and Assassin bugs . 51 Digging Education Resource Manual and Identification Systems Farming Insects Broadacre of Southern Australian Flies . 52 Gall midges or Gall gnats - Hessian fly & Barley stem gall midge . 54 Pitfall trap Exotic leaf miners . 56 Hoverflies . 59 Pheromone trap Earwigs . 61 Light trap European earwig & Native earwigs . 62 Springtails . 65 Lucerne flea . 65 Insect status pest = blue Slugs & Snails . 67 Round snails - White Italian snail & Vineyard or common snail . 68 beneficial = green Conical snails - Small pointed snail & Pointed snail . 70 biosecurity = red Slugs - Reticulated or grey field slug & Black-keeled slug . 72 Mites . 74 F = Family Red legged earth mite . 75 SF = Superfamily Figure 4.3 Typical lifecycle of redlegged earth mites in southern Australia . 77 Blue oat mite . 78 Scale bar Balaustium mite & Bryobia mite or Clover mite . 80 10 mm 20 30 Predatory Mites . 82 adult Wasps, Bees & Ants . 83 Maximum size shown Wheat stem sawfly & European wheat stem sawfly . 84 for larva and adult Wasp parasitoids . 86 Egg parasitoids . 89 Lifecycle (starting August) Bees as pollinators . 91 A S O N D J F M A M J J Lacewings & Antlions . 92 Stage 1 Stage 2 Green lacewings & Brown lacewings . 92 Stage 3 Stage 4 Spiders . 94 © More information . 95 2018 1 SECTION 4 COMMON PEST, BENEFICIAL AND EXOTIC SPECIES MOTHS & BUTTERFLIES (Order Lepidoptera) Lepidoptera - scale (lepi); covering wing (ptera) In Australia there are about 20,800 lepidopteran species bodies, a small head covered in scales and large eyes . divided into over 80 families . Adults have a long, thin, coiled sucking tube (proboscis) which they use to feed on liquid sugar sources . They have Main characteristics multi-segmented antennae (comb-like in male moths, thread-like in female moths) . Moths usually shelter by Larva day and fly at night, unlike butterflies, which are mostly Larvae or grubs are generally elongated in form, active during the day . with three pairs of true (thoracic) legs directly behind the head . Larvae have a well-developed and Lifecycle hardened (sclerotised) head capsule and chewing Complete metamorphosis . Depending on the species, (mandibulate) mouthparts . On the front of the head females may lay a few or tens of thousands of eggs is a groove (suture) shaped like an inverted ‘V’ and a second (several hundred is typical) . Larvae develop through 4-7 suture (adfrontal) just under the ‘V’ . Most have ventral and instars (taking a few weeks or up to a few months) before anal prolegs as well as crochets (small hooks) on the base pupating . Pupation can occur on vegetation, in the soil of the prolegs . These hooks help the larva hold on to the or leaf litter and even inside wood . Many lepidopterans surface . Most larvae feed on foliage or stored products . have one or two generations per year, some breed continuously and others may take years to develop (e g. Adult (moths) Cossidae) . Adults have two pairs of large membranous wings that are completely covered with scales in regular, overlapping rows on both surfaces . They have hairy 2018 © Lepidopteran larva Side view of head Front view of head Eyespots 1st abdominal segment Cervical (neck) shield Anal proleg Hardened with (sclerotised) crotchets head capsule with Abdominal Spiracle ‘True’ leg chewing prolegs with (breathing mouthparts crochets hole) Various crochet (hook) patterns at the base of all abdominal and anal prolegs-soles on feet Source: Modified from Goodyer (1978) and CSIRO (1991) Insects of Southern Australian Broadacre Farming Systems Identification Manual and Education Resource Education Resource Manual and Identification Systems Farming Insects Broadacre of Southern Australian 2 SECTION 4 COMMON PEST, BENEFICIAL AND EXOTIC SPECIES Groups (families) relevant to broadacre Day moths (F: Agaristidae): These moths usually fly by cropping day and have visually striking colours of dark brown to black, yellow and orange . A common pest is the Cutworms, armyworms and native budworm pasture day moth, Apina calisto, usually seen in autumn . (F: Noctuidae): The larvae of this family are among For further information refer to Ute Guides, Southern the most damaging crop pests and are covered in this (p . 34)/Western (p . 33) . section on page 4-12 . Tiger moths (F: Arctiidae): Usually brightly coloured Looper caterpillars (F: Geometridae): Larvae have moths with markings of orange, red, black and/or white . a reduced number of prolegs (i e. two or three pairs Some larvae have a dense covering of tightly packed of prolegs towards their rear end) and move by a upright hairs and are known as woolly bears . They are characteristic looping action when walking . The brown not usually economic pests in broadacre agriculture but pasture looper, Ciampa arietaria is an example . This are occasionally seen in large numbers . looper undergoes one generation per year with the moths flying in autumn . Refer to Ute Guides, Southern Hawk moths (F: Sphingidae): Larvae have a characteristic (p . 36)/Western (p . 28) for more detail . Loopers are not spine that rises up from the rear . These are not economic just confined to the Geometridae family . A minor spring pests in broadacre agriculture but are occasionally seen pest of canola and pulses, Chrysodeixis spp . (Noctuidae) in large numbers on autumn weeds . also move with a characteristic looping action and have a reduced number of prolegs . For further information, Butterflies (various families): Two of the most widely refer to Ute Guides, Southern (p . 37)/ Western (p . 34) . known pest butterflies found in broadacre cropping are the cabbage white butterfly, Pieris rapae, and the grass Diamondback moth (F: Plutellidae): This is a pest of blue butterfly, Zizina labradus . For further information canola and is covered in this section on page 13 . refer to Ute Guides, Southern (pp . 42-44)/Western (p . 35,36) . Grass moths (F: Pyralidae): These are generally small moths (most <15 mm long) with characteristic ‘beak- like’ protrusions on their heads . Legs are usually long relative to the body . Larvae are often web-spinners creating shelters or joining plant and debris together . Lucerne seed web moth is covered in detail on page 15 . Other examples include pasture webworm, Education Resource Manual and Identification Systems Farming Insects Broadacre of Southern Australian Hednota spp , . and weed web moth, Achyra affinitalis . For further information refer to Ute Guides, Southern (pp . 30-33)/Western (pp . 24, 25 & 29) . © 2018 3 SECTION 4 COMMON PEST, BENEFICIAL AND EXOTIC SPECIES ARMYWORMS, CUTWORMS, BUDWORMS & SEMI-LOOPERS Lepidoptera: Noctuidae Key noctuid characteristics and biology Larvae Adults • have four pairs of abdominal prolegs; • are generally dull coloured moths but some have • have anal prolegs; metallic-looking markings on their wings; • crochet (soles of prolegs) arrangement is a row on one • generally have stout bodies covered in dense long side (mesoseries); scales; • usually have a stripe on cervical shield; • feed on nectar from flowers; • usually smooth, lacking obvious dense hairs; • mainly fly at night . • can vary widely in colour and this variation sometimes Many species are able to migrate long distances aided depends on the food source . Larvae are often green, by wind currents . This enables them to exploit abundant brown or yellow in colour and striped longitudinally; plant growth after rain . • mostly feed at night on a variety of crops . Most fully mature noctuid larvae burrow into the soil to pupate, although a few species pupate in a sparse cocoon under a leaf of the host plant . Depending on the species, pupation can take place over a short or long time before moths emerge . There are many noctuid species that lack some abdominal