Preparedness for biological control of high-priority anthropod pests

A key aspect of biosecurity is preparedness for an incursion of non-native pests. This project prepares the Australian grapevine industry for the incursion of four grapevine pests: The glassy-winged sharpshooter, the vine mealybug, the grape mealybug and the European grape vine moth. These pests have been recognised in the Industry Biosecurity Plan for the Viticulture Industry (version 2.0, 2009) as high priority pests that potentially threaten the productivity of the Australian wine industry. If one of these did arrive in Australia, then eradication would be the first priority response. But eradication is not always possible, in which case biological control is the second priority. After an incursion, the spread of an invasive pest and the damage it causes can expand geometrically over time. Each year that passes without an effective solution translates into mounting losses in terms of either lost production, reduced quality and/or increased control costs. The industry can be spared substantial losses if a new pest can be rapidly brought under control. Preparation for an incursion of a high priority pest can substantially limit the time needed for an appropriate response and hence the damage incurred. This is the rationale behind this project. Each of the pest species is covered in a chapter that consists of four sections. The first section addresses the distribution of the pest species in its endemic range, the plant host range, the expected distribution in Australia and how this overlaps with the Australian wine growing regions, the presence of other plant hosts in Australia and the biology and pest status of the species.