April 19, 2012
Queensland and northern New South Wales peanut and pulse growers now have a valuable new pest management tool to help maximise their profit potential.
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry researchers have released a new insect identification guide.
“Good Bug, Bad Bug” features more than 300 glossy photos of insects found in peanut and pulse crops and aims to help growers and their advisers confidently identify the pest and beneficial insects that occur in their crops.
Author, Agri-Science Queensland senior entomologist Hugh Brier, said most of the photographs were the work of veteran insect photographer Joe Wessels, a long-time entomology research assistant from Kingaroy.
“Good Bug, Bad Bug is a specialised publication as all pests and beneficials are featured in one book,” Mr Brier said.
“There was a demand from industry to have all insects found in one publication – something people could take out in the field and consult quickly.
“Along with the identification information, there are sections on integrated pest management, crop sampling techniques and insect pest thresholds.”
Mr Brier said the layout of Good Bug, Bad Bug was designed to assist farmers to quickly find certain insects.
“Similar looking insects – good and bad – can be found on the same or adjacent pages which allows for a rapid comparison and identification,” he said.
Images are colour coded for pests and their natural enemies. All photos contain a brief summary of the insect’s status as pest or beneficial and their key characteristics.
Growers who would like to receive a free copy of “Good Bug, Bad Bug” can contact Hugh Brier on (07) 4160 0740 or by email
