Pest and Diseases

Horticultural pest and diseases

This tiny weevil is helping pollinate these Thryptomene flowers (image supplied by Denis Crawford)
Environment & SustainabilityPest and Diseases

Weevils are not all pests

By Denis Crawford

Think weevil, think pest? Think again. Weevils are incredibly diverse, and some species are plant pollinators.

With about 400,000 species worldwide, the insect order Coleoptera (beetles) accounts for about 25% of all animal species on earth. 20% of those beetles are weevils of the superfamily Curculionoidea.… Continue reading

Read More
Tiny Trichogramma wasps are mass reared to control caterpillar pests (image supplied by Denis Crawford)
Environment & SustainabilityPest and Diseases

Insects as livestock

By Denis Crawford

There is a long and fascinating history of mass rearing of various insects, and it seems that the practice is set to expand somewhat.

There has been a lot of press in the last couple of years about farming insects for human consumption.… Continue reading

Read More