Know: Who are my allies and where are they?

Information about how to identify and monitor for beneficials

Who are my allies?

There are many species of beneficial insects, spiders and mites that are active in your crop fields and landscapes right now. If you turn over the soil you might see carabid beetles, if you look at leaves you might see larvae of lacewings or predatory bugs, as you walk around ladybeetles will run into you and if you wander around at night earwigs will be out and about. There are plenty of resources for you to improve your identification skills and know who are your friends.

Here are the best resources to start with:

• The GRDC beneficial insects back pocket guide.
• The I-SPY identification manual (mainly for southern areas) has pages on most beneficials.
• AgPest has a number of profiles about certain beneficials
• Great guide on establishment pests that includes beneficials in NSW.
• The IPM guidelines for grains has some good resources.
• Cesar Australia has a number of articles about getting to know the beneficials in your crop.

How do I know where they are when?

At this stage we have limited surveillance systems for beneficial species. However, the Pest Facts services in your region are a good place to start. 

• PestFacts WA service (WA)
• Pest Facts SA service (SA)
• PestFacts south-eastern (VIC and into NSW)
• In northern areas The Beat Sheet is a useful source of intelligence.