Skip to main content Skip to main navigation Skip to search
Home

Top navigation main

  • News & media
  • Jobs
  • Ministers
  • Contact us
Main menu

AWE Main

  • Agriculture and land
    Agriculture and land Building stronger and more sustainable agriculture, fisheries, forestry and land care.
    • Animal health
    • Climate change and agriculture
    • Drought, disaster and rural support
    • Farming, food and drought
    • Fisheries
    • Forestry
    • Levies and charges on agricultural products
    • Mouse infestation advice
    • Plant health
    Xylella

    Protect against unwanted plant pests

    Our biosecurity system helps protects us. Everyone has a role in supporting our biosecurity system.

    Find out more

  • Biosecurity and trade
    Biosecurity and trade
    • Aircraft, vessels and military
    • Biosecurity policy
    • Cats and dogs
    • Exporting
    • Importing
    • Pests, diseases and weeds
    • Public awareness and education
    • Trade and market access
    • Travelling or sending goods to Australia
    • Report a concern
    Brown marmorated stink bug

    BMSB Seasonal Measures

    Australia has strengthened seasonal measures to manage the risk of BMSB.

    View our seasonal measures

  • Science and research
    Science and research Undertaking research and collecting data to support informed decisions and policies.
    • Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES)
    • Plant Innovation Centre
    Abares

    ABARES Insights

    Get 'snapshots’ of agricultural, forestry and fisheries industries, or analysis of key issues.

    Find out more

  • About us
    About us We enhance our agricultural industries and trade, and manage the threat of biosecurity risks to Australia.
    • Accountability and reporting
    • Assistance, grants and tenders
    • Contact us
    • Fees and charges
    • News and media
    • Our commitment to you
    • Payments
    • People and jobs
    • Publications
    • What we do
    • Who we are
    Budget 2025-26

    Budget 2025-26

    The 2025–26 Portfolio Budget Statements were released on 25 March 2025.

    Find out more

  • Online services
    Online services We do business with you using online platforms. This makes it easier for you to meet your legal requirements.
Department of Agriculture

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Biosecurity and trade
  3. Biosecurity
  4. Import risk analyses
  5. Group pest risk analyses
  6. Group pest risk analysis for mealybugs
  7. Draft report fact sheet

Sidebar first - Biosecurity

  • Group pest risk analysis for mealybugs
    • Draft report
    • Draft report fact sheet
    • Final report
    • Final report fact sheet

Biosecurity Fact Sheet: Group pest risk analysis for mealybugs

​Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, September 2018

The factsheet provides an overview of the group pest risk analysis for mealybugs, and the viruses they transmit, for a 60 day public consultation period.

Download

DocumentPagesFile size
Biosecurity Fact Sheet: Group pest risk analysis for mealybugs PDF 2478 KB

If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.

Online version

Key points

  • On 28 September 2018, the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources released the group pest risk analysis for mealybugs, and the viruses they transmit, for a 60 day public consultation period.
  • This is the second group PRA released for public consultation. The first group PRA, for thrips and orthotospoviruses, was completed in 2017.
  • Comments of a technical nature, on the draft report, are welcome by 27 November 2018.
  • The final report is expected to be published in 2019.

Rationale for the group pest risk analysis

We are developing a new approach to conducting pest risk analyses (PRA). A PRA is the process of evaluating biological or other scientific and economic evidence to determine whether an organism is a pest, whether it should be regulated, and the phytosanitary measures required to manage its biosecurity risk.

A group PRA approach assesses groups of pests with shared common biological characteristics. This new approach helps to improve the effectiveness and consistency in managing the biosecurity risks associated with imported goods.

Group PRAs will make the risk analysis process for imported goods more effective and consistent for the department, whilst maintaining a robust system to protect against pests and diseases establishing in Australia.

The development of group PRAs is supported by the Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper to strengthen biosecurity surveillance and analysis.

A group PRA on scale insects is currently underway.

About the group pest risk analysis

The group PRA considers the biosecurity risk posed by plant-eating insects called mealybugs (the insect families Pseudococcidae, Putoidae and Rhizoecidae in the insect order Hemiptera) associated with fresh fruit, vegetables, cut flowers or foliage imported into Australia as commercial consignments. It also assesses the risks posed by viruses transmitted by mealybugs.

The draft report identifies 169 mealybug quarantine pests and nine viruses of biosecurity concern for Australia.

The draft group PRA identifies measures for mealybug quarantine pests, and alternative risk management options that may be considered on a case-by-case basis when developing new import conditions for specific commodities, or when reviewing existing import conditions for commodities that are currently traded. These measures are consistent with long-standing established import requirements for mealybug quarantine pests.

Measures are applied to ensure that goods in consignments are free from mealybug quarantine pests. Verification measures, such as inspection, are required to provide assurance that Australia’s import conditions have been met and the appropriate level of protection achieved. Additional operational procedures may be required on a case-by-case basis for specific plant import pathways, such as a system of traceability, registration of packing house and treatment providers and auditing of procedures, packaging and labelling requirements and specific conditions for storage and movement.

Imported goods that are frequently found to be infested with mealybug quarantine pests may be subject to mandatory treatment, which may be required pre-export rather than as a remedial action on arrival.

Mealybugs

Mealybugs are small, soft-bodied sap-sucking insects that feed on plants. Around 2,300 species have been described, of which 169 species are identified as quarantine pests for Australia. These species have the potential to be on the plant import pathway and cause damage to plants. These insects are regarded as major plant pests and are found in every part of the world. Mealybugs, and the viruses they transmit, can cause damage across a range of crops by reducing yield, quality and marketability, requiring ongoing field management and control.

Some mealybug species can transmit viruses. However, mealybugs can only transmit viruses for a short period of time (this is known as semi-persistent transmission) and the nine viruses of quarantine concern to Australia also have a limited host plant range compared to their mealybug vectors. For this reason, mealybugs present on imported fresh fruit, vegetable, cut-flowers and foliage are unlikely to be able to transmit exotic viruses to a host plant in Australia.

Next steps

Stakeholders are invited to comment on the draft report during the public consultation period, which closes on 27 November 2018. Stakeholders can make their submission via the department’s website.

Stakeholders interested in receiving further updates on biosecurity risk analyses are invited to subscribe via the department’s online subscription service. Registered stakeholders can update or cancel their subscriptions at any time.

​​

General enquiries

Call 1800 900 090

Contact us online

Report a biosecurity concern

Thanks for your feedback.
Thanks! Your feedback has been submitted.

We aren't able to respond to your individual comments or questions.
To contact us directly phone us or submit an online inquiry

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Please verify that you are not a robot.

Skip
Page last updated: 04 November 2019

We acknowledge the continuous connection of First Nations Traditional Owners and Custodians to the lands, seas and waters of Australia. We recognise their care for and cultivation of Country. We pay respect to Elders past and present, and recognise their knowledge and contribution to the productivity, innovation and sustainability of Australia’s agriculture, fisheries and forestry industries.

Artwork: Protecting our Country, Growing our Future
© Amy Allerton, contemporary Aboriginal Artist of the Gumbaynggirr, Bundjalung and Gamilaroi nations.

Footer

  • Contact us
  • Accessibility
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • FOI

© Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

Facebook X LinkedIn Instagram