Plant pests and diseases
Report emergency plant pests
Suspected plant diseases, exotic pests, or noxious weeds must be reported quickly to prevent a major outbreak.
Failure to report an emergency plant pest is illegal and may result in a fine or prosecution.
Or you can submit a plant pest reporting form.
Plant pests threatening SA
Learn about the symptoms of plant pests and diseases to look for in South Australia.
High-risk exotic plant pests and diseases
High-risk exotic pests and diseases are not established in Australia. These are a key threat to Australia’s biodiversity and are damaging to Australia’s unique ecosystems. For more information, see:
- National Priority List of Exotic Environmental Pests, Weeds and Diseases
- National Priority Plant Pests.
Those with the greatest potential impact on South Australia are:
- Asiatic and African citrus psyllids
- Brown marmorated stink bug
- Citrus canker
- Exotic invasive ants
- Exotic invasive snails
- Exotic leaf miners
- Exotic long-horned beetles
- Fire blight
- Fruit fly
- Glassy-winged sharpshooter
- Huanglongbing (HLB)
- Karnal bunt
- Khapra beetle
- Myrtle rust
- Potato cyst nematodes
- Potato mop top virus (PMTV)
- Spongy moth
- Spotted latternfly
- Spotted winged drosophila
- Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV)
- Xylella and exotic vectors
- Yellow spotted stink bug
- Zebra chip
Pests and diseases of significant concern
- Australian plague locust
- Blueberry rust
- Boil smut of maize
- Citrus blight disease
- Citrus red mite
- Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus
- European house borer
- Fall armyworm
- Fusarium wilt of tomato
- Giant pine scale
- Grapevine berry inner necrosis virus (GINV)
- Green snail
- Guava root-knot nematode
- Melon thrips
- Onion smut
- Parlatoria date scale
- Pine wilt nematode
- Polyphagous shot-hole borer
- Potato spindle tuber viroid disease
- Pyriform scale
- Sweet orange stem-pitting
- Tomato potato psyllid
Common seasonal pests
Further information
- Plant Quarantine Standard and updated conditions, including all plant pests in SA
- Farm biosecurity advice to protecting your farm against diseases, pests and weeds
- Insect identification apps – GRDC