Urgent actions to protect against khapra beetle
We are regularly updating this webpage to answer your queries. We will provide further updates on the implementation of each phase as we work through the complexities of the urgent actions.
Khapra beetle (Trogoderma granurium) is a small but serious pest, and we want to keep it out of Australia. As such, we are implementing urgent actions that will impact imports of plant products and sea containers. The urgent actions are being supported by a $14.5 million investment to safeguard Australia against this significant pest.
Urgent actions
The urgent actions are being implemented in phases. Click on the links below for further detail on each phase.
- Requirements for high-risk plant products
(Phases 1-3) - Requirements for other-risk plant products
(Phase 4) - Requirements for seeds for sowing
(Phase 5) - Requirements for sea containers
(Phase 6)
Implementation dates for the urgent actions
The implementation dates for each phase are outlined in the below table and infographic. Please note that the numbering of these phases does not match the order of implementation due to changes in risk patterns of khapra beetle.
Download
| Document | Pages | File size |
|---|---|---|
Infographic: Khapra beetle urgent actions phases PDF  |
1 | 403 KB |
Infographic: Khapra beetle urgent actions phases DOCX  |
1 | 48 KB |
If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.
Risk of khapra beetle
Khapra beetle is Australia’s number two National Priority Plant Pest and the number one plant priority pest for grains. It is not present in Australia, but it is a highly invasive pest that poses a major threat to Australia’s grains industry. Khapra beetle destroys grain quality making it unfit for human or animal consumption.
A number of countries, including Australia, have seen a recent increase in khapra interceptions. It is being detected in:
- imported plant products
- goods that it previously had no association with
- sea containers as a hitchhiker pest
- imports from countries not known to have khapra beetle.
Learn more about:
- khapra beetle in our pest bulletin
- the hitchhiking risk of khapra beetle in our article.
Download
| Document | Pages | File size |
|---|---|---|
| Khapra beetle poster PDF |
1 | 546 KB |
| Khapra beetle poster DOCX |
2 | 2.1 MB |
If you have difficulty accessing these files, please visit web accessibility.
The below video gives an overview of the risks khapra beetle poses to Australia and how to identify this significant pest.
Download
| Document | Pages | File size |
|---|---|---|
| The risks of khapra beetle - Transcript DOCX |
1 | 42 KB |
If you have difficulty accessing these files, please visit web accessibility.
Trogoderma species of concern
Khapra beetle (Trogoderma granarium) is one of the world’s most serious pests of stored grains and other food substances. The genus Trogoderma currently has more than 150 known species with varied world distribution. The following Trogoderma species including khapra beetle have been identified as pests of biosecurity concern for Australia.
| Scientific name |
|---|
| Trogoderma angustum |
| Trogoderma anthrenoides |
| Trogoderma cavum |
| Trogoderma granarium |
| Trogoderma grassmani |
| Trogoderma inclusum |
| Trogoderma longisetosum |
| Trogoderma ornatum |
| Trogoderma simplex |
| Trogoderma sinistrum |
| Trogoderma sternale |
| Trogoderma versicolor |