Pests and diseases of banana crops

Identifying pests and diseases early can help you to better control and manage them. Pests and diseases that affect the banana industry are listed below.

Pests

• Banana aphid
• Banana flower thrips
• Banana fruit caterpillar
• Banana rust thrips
• Banana scab moth
• Banana weevil borer
• Banana-silvering thrips
• Banana-spotting and fruit-spotting bugs
• Cluster caterpillar
• Fruit piercing moths
• Queensland fruit fly
• Spider mite
• Two-spotted mite
• Spiralling whitefly
• Sugarcane bud moth

Diseases

• Anthracnose
• Rhizome soft rot
• Banana leaf rust
• Leaf speckle
• Crown rot
• Fruit speckle
• Yellow Sigatoka
• Burrowing nematode

Serious quarantine pests and diseases

These diseases are present in Australia and pose a significant threat to Queensland's banana industry. To prevent the introduction and spread of these diseases, to and within Queensland's banana production area, movement restrictions apply to banana plants, and banana pest carriers.

• Banana freckle
• Black Sigatoka
• Bunchy top
• Panama disease TR4

Serious exotic pests and diseases

These diseases are not present in Australia. They pose a significant threat to Queensland’s banana industry.

• Banana bract mosaic disease
• Moko disease
• Oriental fruit fly

Also consider...

• Learn more about managing pests and diseases of plants.
• Read the Banana industry biosecurity guideline (PDF, 408KB).