Regional pests
When new exotic pests with the potential to cause serious economic impact on plant production industries are detected, eradication is the ideal goal. While Australia has had great success in eradicating exotic pests, in some cases eradication is not possible.
Following the establishment of these pests, measures can still be taken to minimise negative impacts, primarily through containment.
Regionalised pests can be contained at a local, regional or state level, depending on current distribution and the ability to implement cost beneficial measures for containment.
Domestic quarantine restrictions are key in preventing the spread of pests nationally. State and territory government legislation underpins containment activities which are carried out by the jurisdictions in cooperation with other states, territories and relevant industries as appropriate. Rules apply to both travellers and commercial growers.
The table below lists approximately 80 pests recognised by formal legislation and their current area of distribution* within Australia.
Some of the quarantine or biosecurity zones relating to these pests are shown on the map.
*the list is correct as of end 2019
| Scientific name | Common name | Region |
| New South Wales | ||
| Bactrocera tryoni | Queensland fruit fly | Endemic within all of NSW excluding the Queensland Fruit Fly Control Zone on the Victorian border as defined in Biosecurity (Queensland Fruit Fly) Control Order 2017 under the Biosecurity Act 2015 |
| Banana bunchy top virus (Babuvirus) | Banana bunchy top virus | Present within the Banana Bunchy Top Virus Control Zone on the far north coast as defined in the Biosecurity (Banana Bunchy Top Virus) Control Order 2017 under the Biosecurity Act 2015 |
| Daktulosphaira vitifoliae | Grapevine phylloxera | Present within the Grapevine Phylloxera Infested Areas, comprising the Sydney and the Albury-Corowa regions as defined in the Biosecurity Regulation 2017 under the Biosecurity Act 2015 |
| Panonychus citri | Citrus red mite | Present within the Citrus Red Mite Biosecurity Zone, comprising the Cumberland and Northumberland counties as defined in the Biosecurity Regulation 2017 under the Biosecurity Act 2015 |
| Ralstonia solanacearum | Bacterial wilt of potatoes | Present in NSW excluding the Seed Protected Area, comprising specific areas within the Central Tablelands and Northern Tablelands as defined in the Biosecurity Regulation 2017 under the Biosecurity Act 2015 |
| Spongospora subterranea | Powdery scab of potatoes | Present in NSW excluding the Seed Protected Area, comprising specific areas within the Central Tablelands and Northern Tablelands as defined in the Biosecurity Regulation 2017 under the Biosecurity Act 2015 |
| Northern Territory | ||
| Aleuroidicus dispersus | Spiraling whitefly | Darwin, Palmerston, Darwin rural area, Katherine |
| Bactrocera tryoni | Queensland fruit fly | Darwin, Palmerston, Darwin rural area, Katherine, Tennant Creek, Alice Springs |
| Bemisia tabaci | Silver leaf whitefly | Darwin, Palmerston, Darwin rural area, Katherine, Alice Springs |
| Brontispa longissima | Palm leaf beetle | Darwin, Palmerston, Darwin rural area |
| Citripestis eutrapera | Mango fruit borer | Darwin, Darwin rural area, Katherine |
| Cosmopolites sordidus | Banana weevil borer | Darwin rural area |
| Cryptosporiopsis citri | Cryptosporiopsis leaf spot | Darwin, Darwin rural area, Batchelor, Daly River, Litchfield region |
| Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (Tobamovirus) | Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus | Darwin rural area, Katherine, Alice Springs (Ti Tree) |
| Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (tropical race 4) | Panama disease | Darwin, Darwin rural area |
| Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum | Fusarium wilt of watermelon | Darwin, Darwin rural area, Katherine |
| Idioscopus clypealis | Mango leaf hopper | Tiwi Islands, Darwin rural area |
| Idioscopus nitidulus | Mango leaf hopper | Darwin, Palmerston, Darwin rural area, Adelaide River, Pine Creek, Katherine |
| Monomorium dichroum | Monomorium dichroum | Darwin |
| Parlatoria blanchardi | Date palm scale | Alice Springs |
| Phakopsora cherimoliae | Phakopsora rust | Darwin rural area |
| Pineapple mealy bug wilt associated virus (Ampelovirus; PMWaV-1, PMWaV-3) | Pineapple mealy bug wilt associated virus | One property only (Darwin Correctional Facility Shoal Bay) |
| Pseudocercospora purpurea | Cercospora spot | Darwin rural area |
| Selenothrips rubrocinctus | Red banded thrips | Darwin, Palmerston, Darwin rural area, Adelaide River, Pine Creek, Katherine |
| Sternochetus mangiferae | Mango seed weevil | Darwin, Palmerston, Darwin rural area, Batchelor, Adelaide River |
| Tetranycus gloveri | Glovers’ mite | Darwin rural area |
| Thrips palmi | Melon thrips | Darwin rural area |
| Uredo morifolia | Mulberry rust | Dundee Downs, Palmerston, Noonamah, Darwin rural area |
| Queensland | ||
| Aleurodicus dispersus | Spiraling whitefly | Torres Strait Islands, Cape York Peninsula, Mareeba, Charters Towers, coastal towns south to Bundaberg |
| Anoplolepis gracilipes | Yellow crazy ant | Populations dotted in various locations spanning Cairns to the Gold Coast |
| Apis cerana, Java genotype | Asian honey bee | Surrounding Cairns region, north to Twyford (near Mossman), west of Dimbula and south to Feluga. A genetically distinct population of AHB is the focus of a Varroa jacobsoni (varroa mite) eradication in Townsville |
| Banana bunchy top virus (Babuvirus) | Bunchy top | Noosa, south to the NSW border |
| Chilo terrenellus (Pagenstecher) | Sugarcane stem borer | Detected on a number of occasions in sugarcane on two of the three Torres Strait islands closest to Papua New Guinea (Saibai and Dauan) |
| Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (Tobamovirus) | Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus | Confined to three quarantined businesses; one in north Queensland and two in the Wide Bay region |
| Cryptotermes brevis | West Indian drywood termite | Greater Brisbane, Wide Bay–Burnett, Rockhampton, Bowen, Townsville |
| Deanolis sublimbalis | Red banded mango caterpillar | Far northern Cape York Peninsula |
| Eumetopina flavipes (Muir) | Island sugarcane planthopper | Torres Strait island archipelago and the northern peninsula area of Cape York |
| Fiji disease virus | Fiji disease virus | Sugarcane biosecurity zones 4, 5 and 6 |
| Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (race 1, race 2, subtropical race 4 and tropical race 4) | Panama disease | Race 1 endemic throughout banana growing regions Race 2 south Johnstone and Cairns Race 4 (subtropical) south-east Queensland as far north as Rosedale (north of Bundaberg) Races 1, 2 and subtropical race 4 are no longer in regulation, although the General Biosecurity Obligation applies Race 4 (tropical) detected in 2015, 2017 and 2018 on three separate properties. A containment program remains in place |
| Idioscopus clypealis | Mango leaf hopper | Cape York Peninsula and Mareeba area, south to Atherton, and along the coast from Wangetti to Gordonvale. Managed under the General Biosecurity Obligation |
| Idioscopus nitidulus | Mango leaf hopper | Cape York Peninsula. Managed under the General Biosecurity Obligation |
| Liriomyza sativae | Vegetable leafminer | Some islands in Torres Strait and at Seisia in the northern peninsula area of Cape York |
| Mycosphaerella fijiensis | Black Sigatoka | Some northern and eastern Torres Strait islands |
| Papaya ringspot virus (Potyvirus) | Papaya ringspot virus | South-east Queensland as far north as Bundaberg area |
| Planoccoccus lilacinus | Coffee mealybug | Boigu Island, Torres Strait islands |
| Procontarinia spp. | Mango leaf gall midge | Torres Strait and northern tip of Cape York Peninsula |
| Pseudococcus cryptus | Cryptic mealybug | Islands in the Torres Strait and isolated places in north Queensland, including Cairns (not widely distributed) |
| Pseudococcus jackbeardsleyi | Jack Beardsley mealybug | Torres Strait islands and the Cape York Peninsula |
| Pseudocercospora purpurea | Cercospora leaf spot | Mareeba Shire Council and Tablelands Regional Council |
| Sugarcane mosaic virus (strain A) (Potyvirus) | Sugarcane mosaic virus | Sugarcane biosecurity zones 4, 5 and 6 |
| Sugarcane striate mosaic associated virus (Carlavirus) | Sugarcane striate mosaic virus | Sugarcane biosecurity zone 2 and 6 |
| Tetranychus piercei | Spider mite | Weipa, Cape York Peninsula |
| Thrips palmi | Melon thrips | South-east Queensland as far north as Bundaberg area. North Queensland coastal areas from Ayr to Mossman and Atherton Tablelands |
| Wasmannia auropunctata | Electric ant | Far north Queensland, Cairns hinterland and Bingle Bay |
| South Australia | ||
| Achroia grisella | Lesser wax moth | Endemic across all of SA |
| Aethina tumida | Small hive beetle | Limited known distribution within all of SA, but not known to occur on Kangaroo Island |
| Ascosphaera apis | Chalkbrood | Endemic across all of SA |
| Chortoicetes terminifera | Australian plague locust | Endemic within all of SA |
| Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (Tobamovirus) | Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus | Known to be present on at least five properties on the Northern Adelaide Plains. |
| Diuraphis noxia | Russian wheat aphid | Endemic within SA cereal growing regions |
| Galleria mellonella | Greater wax moth | Endemic across all of SA |
| Grapevine pinot gris virus | Grapevine pinot gris virus | Established in SA |
| Melissococcus pluten | European foulbrood | Endemic across most of SA, but not known to occur on Kangaroo Island |
| Nosema apis | Nosema | Endemic across all of SA |
| Nosema ceranae | Nosema | Endemic across most of SA, but not known to occur on Kangaroo Island |
| Paenibacillus larvae | American foulbrood | Endemic across most of SA, but not known to occur on Kangaroo Island |
| Victoria | ||
| Cornu apertus (syn. Cantareus apertus) | Green snail | Management of green snail linked and infested lands (refer to specific gazetted orders) |
| Daktulosphaira vitifoliae | Grapevine phylloxera | Phylloxera Infested Zone and Phylloxera Free Zone (refer to specific gazetted orders) |
| Globodera rostochiensis | Potato cyst nematode | Management of potato cyst nematode linked and infested lands, and Plant Protection District (refer to specific gazetted orders) |
| Western Australia | ||
| Achroia grisella | Lesser wax moth | Regulations or controls for movement and control in specified areas |
| Aethina tumida | Small hive beetle | Kimberley Region. Host material restricted from movement to rest of state |
| Bemisia tabaci (B biotype) | Silverleaf whitefly | Carnarvon. Host material restricted from movement to Kununurra |
| Brontispa longissima | Palm leaf beetle | Broome. Host material restricted from movement to rest of state |
| Cornu apertus (syn. Cantareus apertus) | Green snail | Regulations or controls for movement and control in specified areas |
| Ceratitis capitata | Mediterranean fruit fly | Absent from east Kimberley region (Ord River Irrigation Area). Regulations or controls for movement and control in specified areas |
| Chortoicetes terminifera | Australian plague locust | Regulations for control in specified areas |
| Cosmopolites sordidus | Banana weevil borer | Kununurra and Carnarvon. Host material restricted from movement to rest of state |
| Cryptolestes ferrugineus | Flat grain beetle | Regulations or controls for movement and control in specified areas |
| Cryptolestes pusillus | Flat grain beetle | Regulations or controls for movement and control in specified areas |
| Ephestia elutella | Tobacco moth | Regulations or controls for insecticide resistant strains |
| Ephestia kuehniella | Mediterranean flour moth | Regulations or controls for insecticide resistant strains |
| Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (race 1) | Panama disease | Carnarvon. Host material restricted from movement to rest of the state |
| Galleria mellonella | Larger wax moth | Regulations or controls for movement and control in specified areas |
| Hylotrupes bajulus | European house borer | Regulations or controls for movement and control in specified areas |
| Oryzaephilus surinamensis | Sawtooth grain beetle | Regulations or controls for insecticide resistant strains |
| Pentalonia nigronervosa | Banana aphid | Carnarvon. Host material restricted from movement to rest of the state |
| Plodia interpunctella | Indian meal moth | Regulations or controls for insecticide resistant strains |
| Potato spindle tuber viroid (Pospiviroidae) | Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) | Carnarvon |
| Rhyzopertha dominica | Lesser grain borer | Regulations or controls for insecticide resistant strains |
| Sitophilus granarius | Granary weevil | Regulations or controls for insecticide resistant strains |
| Sitophilus oryzae | Rice weevil | Regulations or controls for insecticide resistant strains |
| Sitotroga cerealella | Angoumois grain moth | Regulations or controls for insecticide resistant strains |
| Thrips palmi | Melon thrips | Kimberley (low pest prevalence area) |
| Tribolium castaneum | Rust red flour | Regulations or controls for insecticide resistant strains |
| Tribolium confusum | Confused flour beetle | Regulations or controls for insecticide resistant strains |
| Trogoderma variabile | Warehouse beetle | Regulations or controls for movement and control in specified areas |