South Australia has some new residents – and they’re already making themselves at home by chewing straight into one of our prickliest problems.
Landscape Officers have released the brown prickly pear stemborer (Lagocheirus funestus) at Wallaroo Mines. Sourced from Queensland, this is the first time this biocontrol beetle has ever set foot (six of them) in our state.
Their mission? To take down the stubborn tree pear cactus that’s been muscling its way across the region. Tree pear and other opuntia species are Weeds of National Significance – tough, spiky, fast spreading and seriously bad news for farms, wildlife and anyone hiking in shorts.
This project is supported by Queensland Department of Primary Industries through funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.
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