New type of locust threatens

NORTHERN Victorian farmers may soon be battling a new locust threat that’s native to tropical Australia and has never been seen in large numbers in Victoria.Victorian plague locust commissioner Gordon Berg said the spur-throated locust was now well established in the Mildura region, but he has seen samples of hoppers collected from the Echuca area.Adult female spur-throated locusts can be up to 75 millimetres long and unlike Australian plague locusts, can strip vine and tree crops along with seed, cereal and grass crops.Mr Berg said record spring and summer rain and warm, humid conditions had led to “rampant” plant growth and had drawn the insects south.“This is the first time we have seen them breeding in Victoria,” he said.“We are seeing them at the immature or wingless stage, therefore we are dealing with populations that are breeding locally.“They are normally a tropical species and we don’t normally see them in large numbers much further south than northern NSW.”Mr Berg said there was no obligation on landholders to spray the spur-throated locusts, but he was keen to hear any reports of locust numbers.