Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 3 Western Australia, Series 3

(1)

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 3 Western Australia, Series 3

Volume 4

Number 3 May-June, 1955 Article 12

5-1955

Insect pests and their control - The lucerne flea (Sminthurus Insect pests and their control - The lucerne flea (Sminthurus viridus L.)

viridus L.)

C. F. H. Jenkins

Follow this and additional works at: https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/journal_agriculture3

Recommended Citation Recommended Citation

Jenkins, C. F. H. (1955) "Insect pests and their control - The lucerne flea (Sminthurus viridus L.)," Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 3: Vol. 4: No. 3, Article 12.

Available at: https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/journal_agriculture3/vol4/iss3/12

This article is brought to you for free and open access by the Agriculture at Digital Library. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 3 by an authorized administrator of Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected].

(2)

THE LUCERNE FLEA

(Sminthurus viridus L)

T

HE lucerne flea or clover springtail is best known in this State as a pest of clover pastures, but various plants, including many types of vegetables, are also liable to attack. The insect is of European origin, being widely distributed over t h a t conti- nent. It occurs also on t h e n o r t h coast of Africa, in the Argentine, and in all the Australian States with the exception of Queensland.

The date of its introduction into Austra- lia is not known, but it was noted in South Australia as early as 1884. I t was not until 1910 t h a t the pest was observed in West- ern Australia, a n d it is believed t h a t baled fodder imported from South Australia was the medium of introduction.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The terms flea a n d springtail imply t h a t the insect is a good jumper, and this is very true, but t h e creature is not by any means closely related to t h e true flea. It does not j u m p by m e a n s of well-developed legs, as does t h e flea, but with the aid of a special organ known as t h e spring. Re- ference to the accompanying illustration will show just how this mechanism works.

The insect is a dumpy-looking creature, wingless a n d about l / 1 0 t h of an inch in length. The colour p a t t e r n varies greatly but green or greenish yellow usually p r e - dominates. The m o u t h p a r t s are of the biting type a n d the p l a n t material is actually chewed a n d swallowed.

LIFE HISTORY

The eggs are laid in batches in moist situations either on t h e soil surface or beneath decaying leaves and debris. After being laid the eggs are covered by the

female with a fluid consisting largely of excreted soil, and on drying, this coating renders the eggs very difficult to detect.

Fig. 1.—Dorsal view of lucerne flea (After Swan.) 327

I Journal of agriculture Vol. 4 1955

(3)

In captivity t h e female h a s been noted to lay about 60 eggs to a batch a n d two batches a p p e a r to be t h e average. Under favourable conditions t h e eggs h a t c h after t h r e e or four days a n d a " n y m p h "

emerges, resembling its p a r e n t s in general a p p e a r a n c e , but m u c h smaller. T h e time required for t h e n y m p h to develop fully will vary greatly with weather conditions, but is about a m o n t h under normal cir- cumstances. As t h e active period of this pest is approximately from May to October, it is evident t h a t a number of generations can develop during t h e season.

W h e n w a r m , dry conditions arise, t h e eggs fail to develop. They successfully w i t h s t a n d t h e h e a t a n d desiccation of t h e s u m m e r u n t i l t h e next a u t u m n rains again bring about conditions favourable for h a t c h i n g to t a k e place.

HABITS

T h e lucerne flea, like t h e red-legged e a r t h mite, is very dependent upon mois- t u r e a n d quickly succumbs should hot, dry conditions prevail for any length of time.

I t is seldom a serious pest in sandy locali- ties, b u t thrives on heavy and slightly acid soils. T h e reason for this is probably a s - sociated with t h e insect's habit of eating q u a n t i t i e s of soil during its life.

T h e injury caused by t h e lucerne flea is quite c h a r a c t e r i s t i c ; small irregular por- tions of t h e leaf may be eaten right away, leaving a ragged hole, or the lower surface of t h e leaf m a y be left i n t a c t as a whitish film.

Lucerne flea injury is sometimes con- fused w i t h t h a t caused by t h e red-legged e a r t h mite, for b o t h pests favour m u c h t h e same e n v i r o n m e n t and have a preference for seedlings a n d low-growing, wide- leaved p l a n t s , b u t a careful inspection will

soon reveal characteristic differences in the injury caused by each.

The mite is a sap sucker, a n d so does not actually remove any of the solid p l a n t tissue. No jagged holes will be seen in leaves attacked by t h e mite, and leaves bleached by t h e lucerne flea will be almost t r a n s p a r e n t when held u p to the light.

The mite-injured leaves, although bleached, still remain opaque.

Although clovers a n d lucerne are t h e favourite food p l a n t s of t h e lucerne flea, capeweed is also a very important host plant a n d often shows severe injury.

Vegetables, such as peas, beans and p o t a - toes, grown in close proximity to weedy land supporting a growth of capeweed may be seriously affected.

CONTROL Cultural Methods.

The advantage of clean cultivation in the establishment of clover or lucerne will be obvious, bearing in mind t h e wide host range of the pest, a n d its liking for capeweed. Although it is not always practic- able to p l a n t on clean fallow, where this can be done, serious insect infestation can only take place from dirty fence-lines a n d headlands, and a good s t a n d may be secured before a high insect population can occur. I n t h e case of lucerne, early spring planting is sometimes possible. The

"flea" population gradually diminishes with the advance of summer whereas the growing conditions for the lucerne (if moisture is available) become increasingly favourable. By the following winter the p l a n t s should be quite well-established a n d m u c h better able to withstand both lucerne flea a n d red-legged e a r t h - m i t e a t t a c k t h a n freshly-sprouted seedlings.

Fig 2 Sketches showing the mechanism of the spring, (a) Spring folded under body in the normal position.

(b) Spring extended after jumping. The structure projecting from between the middle pair of legs is the base of the ventral tube (adhesive organ). Only the appendages on the near side are shown. (After Swan.)

328

Journal of agriculture Vol. 4 1955

(4)

It's not too early to think about . . .

H A Y - B A L I N G !

Skipper Bailey's announce 3 great OLIVER Models for 1955

AVAILABLE FOR EARLY DELIVERY

Oliver Automatic Wire Tie Hay Baler (Model 100)

The NEW Oliver Model 5 0 Twine-Tie Baler

• ENGINE-POWERED P.T.O.-OPERATED or

At last, here are two machines in the medium capacity, medium price range for the farmer with the smaller holdings. The Model 50 incorporates many features found in its big brother, the Model 100. It is a neat, compact unit, simple to operate, and easy to handle. I t is capable of a fast, high output according to conditions and the type of crop to be baled . . . and could even do service on larger acreages. Inquire about these great new models now! Supplies are on the water.

Powered by a Wisconsin 4-cylinder air-cooled engine, the OLIVER Automatic Wire Tie Hay Baler is a dependable machine, being readily ad- justable so that the farmer or the grazier can adapt it quickly to his needs whatever the crop.

The OLIVER Model 100 is economical. It wastes no time and wastes no hay. Just the machine for the man with large acreage and for the

baling contractor

OLIVER

HAY-BALERS

& & ,

$aM

M O T O R CO. LTD

900 HAY STREET, PERTH- -Phone BA 9361 Cnr. Spencer a n d Stirling Streets, BUNBURY

Please send me details of the OLIVER range of Hay-Balers

NAME ADDRESS

D.A. 5/6

Please mention the "Journal of .A

Journal of'agriculture Vol. 4 1955dv

(5)

WILES

Lead with Steel Buildings

Too!

Known throughout Australia and now manufactured in Western Australia, Wiles Steel Building Frames provide for every farm shed and farm housing requirements. Inquiries

welcomed

30ft., 40ft., 50ft, & 60ft. SPANS

S t r o n g , R i g i d a n d P e r m a n e n t Wiles S t a n d a r d i s e d C o n s t r u c t i o n m e t h o d m a k e s a d d i t i o n s p o s s i b l e a t a n y t i m e ,

w i t h o u t i n c o n v e n i e n c e ! Wiles Lattice type buildings are engineered to exacting specifications. Standard inter- changeable sections enable accurate assem- bly by unskilled labour. The complete Wiles range of steel buildings have been designed and thoroughly proved and are manufactured in standardised types allow- ing for t h e production to your requirements

of almost any type of building W i l e s M a k e S t e e l B u i l d i n g F r a m e s f o r : Hay Barns, Implement Sheds, Shearing Sheds, Packing Sheds, Grain Stores, Wool Sheds, Garages, Staff Quarters, Cottages,

Etc.

WILES

MANUFACTURING CO. LIMITED 14 ST. GEORGE'S TERRACE, PERTH

Telephone BA 3972

Rigid Tyne S.J.

Combine

The machine for pasture renovation in hard soil conditions. Available with pneumatic or steel wheel equipment. Narrow tynes and extra clearance between floats and ground allows obstructions to clear machine quickly.

A proven Wiles Implement!

Please send me full details of the following (strike out t h a t which is not applicable) —

RIGID TYNE COMBINE

STEEL BUILDINGS - COTTAGES FULL RANGE TILLAGE IMPLEMENTS

NAME ADDRESS .

J.A. 5/6

Please mention the "Journal of Agriculture, W.A.," when writing to advertisers

(6)

Biological Control.

A species of predatory mite commonly known as the bdellid mite (Biscirus lapi- darius) was discovered in this State in 1932 and its main food was found to be the lucerne flea. In permanent pasture lands the mite has shown its ability to exercise a controlling influence on the flea, but it has by no means solved the lucerne flea problem. For many years the mite was distributed by the Department of Agriculture in order to ensure its introduction into the principal clover growing districts. The creature now has a wide range in the lower South-West, and wholesale distribution has been discon- tinued. The natural spread of the mite is rather slow and some farmers believe in spreading the predators over their pad- docks whenever they find a particularly active colony at work. The mite is a little over 1/16th inch in length, reddish in colour, has a long "snout," eight legs and two prominent "feelers."

It has a habit of hiding, particularly during warm spells, under pieces of bark, slats of wood and other suitable cover.

Such material and the adhering mites can be collected in a bucket or other receptacle and transferred to areas where the flea is particularly troublesome.

Chemical Control.

The increase in ley farming which has taken place in many districts in recent years has greatly accentuated the problem of both lucerne flea and red-legged earth mite control. The general reduction in fal- lowing and clean cultivation makes farmers more and more dependent upon chemical treatments to ensure healthy crops. Re- cently-developed insecticides and the availability of suitable field spraying equipment has revolutionised pest control methods and has made pasture and field crop spraying a really practical proposi- tion. Early recommendations for the chemical control of the lucerne flea de- pended upon such materials as arsenate of lead and lime sulphur (Jenkins & Forte 1948) but the quantities necessary made such chemicals quite unsuitable for field treatments.

Parathion.

Parathion or E605, sold locally under such trade names as Phosphone 20, Folidol,, Thion 40, etc., has proved out- standing against the lucerne flea and is the present standard method of control.

Recent work carried out by the C.S.I.R.O.

in Western Australia (Wallace, unpublished information) has shown that parathion applied by a boom spray at l/16th of a pint of 20 per cent, emulsifiable con- centrate (= i oz. of active ingredient) per acre will give excellent control and that, although higher concentrations have been used in the past, these are seldom necessary. Where efficient ground spraying is being carried out, therefore, l/16th of a pint of 20 per cent emulsifiable concen- trate could be used. Where some loss may occur from wind drift and evaporation as in aerial spraying, £ pint of emulsion per acre is recommended.

Unfortunately the residual effect of parathion is very slight, and fleas hatching after treatment will be unaffected.

The timing of the spray, therefore, be- comes important, and treatments should be applied so as to kill the first brood before egg-laying has commenced. Such an application should normally be made about three weeks after the opening rains.

If for any reason the early spray is not possible or has been wrongly timed and lucerne fleas are particularly troublesome, then two parathion treatments should be given about three weeks apart. The second treatment should kill fleas hatching from eggs unaffected by the first spray.

:. 3.—The lucerne flea predator (Biscirus lapidarius).

1 Journal of agriculture Vol. 4 1955

(7)

Fie 4 —The low-volume boom spray, one model of which is shown here, has revolutionised pest control methods

e' and provides effective control over lucerne flea.

Other New Inseticides.

DDT h a s proved quite useless against t h e lucerne flea a n d indeed its application m a y increase t h e flea population due to t h e toxic effect on the bdellid mite (Wal- lace 1954 a).

Benzene-hexachloride (BHC or " G a m - m e x a n e " ) gave some promise in early ex- p e r i m e n t s (Jenkins & Forte 1948) a n d

(Swan & Lower 1951) but subsequent work h a s shown it to be of little practical use (Wallace 1954 b) especially in view of the r e m a r k a b l e effectiveness of parathion.

Lindane spray a t 1.1 and 2.3 ozs. per acre gave no control of t h e lucerne flea b u t fair control of the e a r t h mite. The latter, however, was in n o way comparable t o t h e DDT t r e a t m e n t either in early or residual effect. (Wallace, unpublished i n - formation) .

Dieldrin a t 4 a n d 8 ozs. active ingredi- e n t per acre applied by boom spray was n o t effective against e a r t h mites a n d gave a slight but unsatisfactory control of t h e lucerne flea. (Wallace, unpublished i n - f o r m a t i o n ) .

Combined Spray for Lucerne Flea a n d Red- legged E a r t h Mite.

T h e lucerne flea a n d the red-legged e a r t h mite a r e very commonly associated in clover pastures and action to control both p e s t s is often necessary.

Unfortunately parathion is of little use against t h e red-legged e a r t h mite (Wal- lace 1954 b) and DDT will not control t h e lucerne flea, but a suitable combination of these chemicals can be used to control both pests.

The dual purpose formula which is r e - commended is i lb of DDT and i oz. of parathion per acre. This means t h a t when proprietary 20 per cent, emulsions of t h e chemicals are used, it will be necessary to apply 1 pint of DDT emulsion, t o - gether with l/16th of a pint of parathion per acre. When stronger or weaker proprietary preparations are used, the q u a n t - ity should be decreased or increased .pro- portionately. As pointed out under t h e heading of parathion, when any loss by wind drift or evaporation is likely the concentration of parathion should be increased to | pint of 20 per cent, emulsion per acre.

Method and Time of Application.

Low volume boom sprays and aircraft have been effectively used to apply materials for lucerne flea and red-legged e a r t h mite control. As already stated, if one spray t r e a t m e n t only is contemplated it must be carefully timed to kill the newly hatched fleas before egg-laying has commenced. The residual action of the DDT against red-legged e a r t h mite makes the

332

(8)

timing less important with regard to that pest. When the first spray has been de- layed or wrongly timed with regard to lucerne flea, a second treatment three weeks after the first may be necessary to control a bad outbreak. The spray should be carefully applied so that patches are not missed here and there in the pastures.

Fleas will soon spread out from such places and quickly re-infest sprayed areas.

The amount of liquid applied per acre will depend upon the type of equipment used.

Aerial treatments with about 2 gallons of spray per acre have proved satisfactory, but with ground equipment from 5-10 gallons per acre are usually applied. The per- formance of any spray outfit should be carefully tested before spraying is actually commenced. A 30 foot boom, however, will do about 20 acres per hour at 5 miles per hour.

Necessity for Treatment.

Farmers would be well advised to con- sider carefully the losses which are caused annually by the lucerne flea and the red- legged earth mite. Regular routine spraying over large areas is not recommended.

To assist in the establishment of newly planted legumes and to protect special crops, treatments are well worth while.

The detrimental effects of DDT upon the bdellid mite predator of the lucerne flea should be borne in mind, however, and, in the main, insecticides should be applied to areas where actual damage is apparent or expected, and not in a wholesale man- ner merely as a general preventative meas- ure.

REFERENCES

JENKINS, C. P. H., and FORTE, P. N. (1948).—

The lucerne flea, J. Agric. W. Aust. 25:

116-20.

SWAN, D. C. and LOWER, H. F . (1951).—An interim note on the control of the lucerne flea and the red-legged earth mite. J. Agric.

S. Aust. 52: 433-4.

WALLACE, M. M. H. (1954 a).—The effect of DDT and BHC on the population of the lucerne flea, Sminthurus viridis (L.) (Collem- bola), and its control by predatory mites, Biscirus spp. (Bdellidae). Aust. J. Agric. Res.

5: 148-55.

WALLACE, M. M. H. (1954 b) .—Experiments en the control of the lucerne flea, Sminthurus viridis (L.) and red-legged earth mite, Halotyieus destructor (Tuck.), in pastures in Western Australia. Aust. J. Agric. Res. 5:

317-26.

A P H I D S

ARE N O T THE

M E N A C E T H E Y W E R E

They are easily controlled with the new fast-acting

'GAMAPHEX'

Benzene Hexachloride Insecticide

This powerful I.C.I. Spray gives you certain protection against these troublesome pests, yet, because it is made from purified, odour- less, Benzene Hexachloride (BHC) it does not taint fruit!

' G A M A P H E X ' is economical too — 1 i pints make 100 galls, of spray for the commercial grower or 2 oz. make 6 galls, for the home gardener.

APPLE GROWERS NOTE

' G A M A P H E X ' is particularly effective for control of Woolly Aphids while the fruit is on the tree.

' G A M A P H E X ' also controls Slatey Grey Cabbage Aphids and Green Peach Aphids on Cabbages, Cauliflowers, Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli. Aphids on Beans and Peas. Aphids on Citrus Trees. Aphids on Flowers and Shrubs.

Available in 2 o z . or 1 pint bottles from your Usual Supplier

G A P . 2 X . 1 1 7 0

IMPERIAL CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES' ' OF AUSTRALIA I NEW ZEALAND LTD.

333

I Journal of agriculture Vol. 4 1955

(9)

oseoeooooeooosssssesssoooeeoeoesooeoeoessessssscesssseseocsccssssessss a o

o 5 o 9 8 o o »»

a a a a a a t»

t>

*>

a a a o o o o a a a a o a a a o a a o o o o a a o o o o o « 5 o o a o o a a a o a o o § a o o o a a

§ o a » a a a a

»> § a o o o o i a o a o 9 o o o o o o

P O O G I N O O K MERINO STUD

(PEPPIN-WANGANELLA BLOOD- -FOUNDED 1913)

Pooginook rams are noted for raising the standard of the many flocks where are they used throughout Australia—their progeny having their sires' desir- able qualities: size, consti- tution and bulky soft- handling fleeces which have good length and

weight.

o 8 a a o o o o

e t>

o o o

I

o o

a o

a «

o o

o D 0 0 0 o 0 o o a o o

« 0 a

o o 5 »>

o o

§ o a a

v>

a o a

i>

*»

Under Western Australian conditions Pooginook rams have proved themselves to be consistently good stock. They have been used in Western Australian flocks for periods up to 26 years.

C. R. TAYLOR & SONS

POOGINOOK Merino Stud

JERILDERIE 6 S., NEW SOUTH WALES Telegrams: Jerilderie

a o 6 5

§ i o a o o o

§

O 0 o s e e o o o e i s s o e s e e s e s s e e s s s s s e s e e s s s s s s e s o e s o e e e s e s c s e e e s s s s s s s s s c e e e s e e s

Please mention the "Journal of Agriculture, W.A.," when writing to advertisers