THE MANGO SEED WEEVIL
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Mangifera indica
FAMILY: Anacardiaceae
In January of this year a number of mangoes imported into the Northern Territory were seized by quarantine officers. The reason was the presence in the mangoes of a small beetle, the mango seed weevil, known scientifically as Cryptorhynchus mangiferae.
Why is this beetle so feared in the N.T.? With a rapidly expanding mango industry, N.T. growers will soon be hoping to exploit export markets overseas. However, if a mango seed weevil becomes established here, the most lucrative markets such as the U.S.A. and Canada, and in fact almost everywhere in the world that considers itself free of the beetle, will refuse to import our mangoes.
It is strange that such a fuss should be made over a beetle that spends almost all its life inside the seed of a mango, only appearing in the open after the fruit has dropped to the ground and rotted away, or more usually when the fruit has been eaten and the seed discarded on the mulch heap. A mango infested by seed weevils tastes just as good as any other mango and there is no sign to tell of the beetle or its white legless grub hidden away in the seed.
The problem arises when mango seeds that have been attacked will not germinate.
The only way that mango seed weevils can reach the N.T. is by fruit and seeds of mangoes being brought here from infested areas. The weevils can be found in Queensland and N.S.W., as well as Southern Africa, much of tropical Asia and some Pacific Islands. For this reason it is an offence to import mangoes or mango seeds into the N.T. from Eastern Australia or from anywhere else except on application to the Chief Inspector of Plants and Diseases. The penalty for an offender is a fine of $5,000 or 12 months imprisonment. The Department of Primary Production has indicated that in future, because of the recent publicity, offenders will be prosecuted.
To protect our export markets we must keep the mango seed weevil out. Any outbreaks will have to be found quickly and eradicated to prevent it from becoming established here. There are a number of different insects that attack mangoes on the tree and after they have fallen to the ground, but it is important to remember that the mango seed weevil occurs only in the seed and not in the flesh.
Any insect or grub found boring inside a mango seed should be treated as suspect and immediately reported to the D.P.P.
Hopefully we will continue to be able to claim the N.T. as mango seed weevil-free and maintain our economic advantage over Queensland and N.S.W.
DATE: September 1984
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