Suction trap targets winged exotic pests
A newly developed insect trap that targets winged exotic insects is being tested before it’s rolled out nationally.
Our Operational Science and Surveillance team is at the heart of the device, and they’re evaluating the trap for use in border surveillance.
The traps draw winged insects out of the air in both indoor and outdoor settings and they’re currently in use at Approved Arrangement (AA) facilities that handle fresh produce, cut flowers and containerised goods.
The trap works by using a motorised fan to suck passing airborne insects down a mesh funnel and into a collection pot.
Since March, entomologists have identified more than 3500 insects from 98 different families caught in these traps. Most are endemic pests which have entered buildings through doors and other openings, however exotic black fungus gnats were recently captured by the trap in Brisbane and further surveillance is being carried out.
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