Biosecurity Tasmania is investigating a second detection of a crop pest that tunnels through plant leaves in north-west Tasmania, raising fresh concerns about the spread of the invasive pest.
The serpentine leafminer was picked up through delimiting surveillance the agency has been running in the region since the first detection in late June.
Serpentine leafminer is a high-risk invasive pest of horticulture and vegetable crops and is exotic to Tasmania.
Its larvae tunnel through leaves, leaving distinctive squiggly white lines on the surface.
It has been present on mainland Australia since 2020 and is considered established in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.
This is the second confirmed detection in Tasmania. It is not yet known how or when the pest entered the state or whether other populations exist here.
The pest is classed as prohibited matter in Tasmania under the Biosecurity Act 2019.
Biosecurity Tasmania said it is working with impacted properties to manage the detections and reduce the risk of the pest spreading.
The agency is continuing surveillance and tracing work in the region to better understand how far the pest may have spread.
“Surveillance activities are continuing in north-west Tasmania to determine if SLM is present beyond the currently known detection sites,” Biosecurity Tasmania said.
Growers and the public are being asked to look out for squiggly white lines on leaves caused by the larvae.
Anyone who suspects the pest should restrict access to the area and avoid moving plants or plant material off-site.
They should note the location, photograph the damage if they can and report it to Biosecurity Tasmania.
