EDITION 4 | December 2024
Message from the Manager
Welcome to the latest edition of our Prevent Fruit Fly newsletter! As we’re preparing for the upcoming season, vigilance is crucial for effective fruit fly management. For valuable tips and tools, visit our website.
In this edition, we provide an update on the National Fruit Fly Council’s (NFFC) visit to South Australia, including tours of the upgraded Port Augusta SIT facility and the SIT pilot on Kangaroo Island, plus much more.
NFFC regional visits
Members of the NFFC Executive Committee recently met in Cairns and the Mareeba region. They got a glimpse of the incredible fruit fly management work being undertaken through key partners, including the Queensland Department of Primary Industries, the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) and horticulture producers.
FASTA Symposium unites experts to advance fruit fly strategy
Stuart Burgess from Plant Health Australia (PHA) and Alison MacGregor from the NFFC's Executive Committee participated alongside industry leaders and researchers at the Fresh and Secure Trade Alliance (FASTA) Symposium, held at Queensland University of Technology’s Gardens Point campus in Brisbane in October.
SIT update: doubling capacity at Port Augusta
The NFFC visited the Port Augusta sterile insect technique (SIT) facility to observe recent upgrades, including a doubling of SIT production capacity. Sterile insect technique (SIT) involves releasing sterile insects to help control wild populations, specifically targeting Queensland fruit fly (Qfly) in the Riverland.
Kangaroo Island SIT blowfly facility: a world-first innovation in livestock protection
Two of Australia’s leading sterile insect technique (SIT) research scientists, Prof Phil Taylor from Macquarie University, and Peter Crisp from SARDI, recently accompanied PHA’s Stu Burgess on a visit to the new SIT blowfly facility on Kangaroo Island.
Introducing the NFFC Research Working Group
The NFFC’s Research Working Group (RWG) is responsible for identifying and recommending high-level research priorities that support the implementation of the National Fruit Fly Strategy (NFFS) in the short, medium, and long-term.
Save the date for the next NFCC webinar
Mark your calendar for the area wide management webinar on 4 February 2025. More details will be available early 2025.
Fruit fly network
Profile: Russell Fox
Meet Russell Fox, owner of inSense Pty Ltd Consultancy and Technical Agronomist. Russell specialises in Integrated Pest and Disease Management (IPDM) for stone and pome fruit and has extensive experience with citrus and vegetable crops.
In science
Biosecurity and management strategies for economically important exotic Tephritid fruit fly species in Australia
Jessica L. Hoskins, Polychronis Rempoulakis, Mark M. Stevens & Bernard C. Dominiak
Metarhizium spp. isolates effective against Queensland fruit fly juvenile life stages in soil
Madita Prince, Aimee C. McKinnon, Diana Leemon, Tim Sawbridge & John P. Cunningham
Genomic signals of local adaptation across climatically heterogenous habitats in an invasive tropical fruit fly Bactrocera tryoni
Elahe Parvizi, Amy L. Vaughan, Manpreet K. Dhami & Angela McGaughran
Do you have a journal article on fruit fly related research? We’d love to hear from you! Share your article with us at fruitfly@phau.com.au and we’ll help promote it within the fruit fly community. We’re always interested in showcasing the latest research on fruit flies from Australia and around the world, covering a diverse range of topics.
In the media
Dominican Republic successfully eradicate Mediterranean fruit fly infestation in record time
The Dominican Republic was able to successfully contain a new incursion of the Mediterranean fruit fly, a highly destructive pest threatening agricultural production worldwide. This marks the second time the country has eliminated this invasive insect using the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT).
Red zone declared in Perth's south after Queensland fruit fly detected in Willagee, Palmyra
Whether you're a home gardener or a commercial grower, learning how to identify and manage fruit flies is essential to protect your crops. Check out this article by ABC Gardening Australia for valuable tips on keeping your garden fruit fly-free.
Queensland Fruit Fly detection in WA
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) is responding to the detection of Queensland fruit fly (Qfly) in Perth's southern suburbs. Find out where you are on the map.
Keep your garden fruit fly free
Whether you're a home gardener or a commercial grower, learning how to identify and manage fruit flies is essential to protect your crops. Check out this article by ABC Gardening Australia for valuable tips on keeping your garden fruit fly-free.
Fruit Fly ID
Zeugodacus tau (Pumpkin fruit fly or Tau
fruit fly)
Zeugodacus tau is a major pest of curcubit crops in countries across Asia and Oceania and is currently absent from Australia. Major commercial host crops include: watermelon, rockmelon, cucumber, pumpkin, guava, edible Luffa, bitter melon, and sapodilla. Z. tau is part of a complex of closely related species but is distinct in having an entirely yellow scutellum, abdominal terga III-V with a distinct dark ‘T’ pattern, and all femora with dark preapical spots.
