THE hazelnut industry is on alert after a detection of hazelnut mite in Victoria’s north east and within the Dandenong Ranges.
According to the Nursery and Garden Industry Victoria (NGIV), it is the first time the pest has been detected in Australia.
The mite (Tetranycopsis horridus) feeds on hazelnut leaves causing discoloration.
The mite attacks the hazelnut leaf, both young and mature varieties, and is found mostly on the under surface, along with its eggs and cast skins.
The eggs tend to be red in colour and a few are often located on the developing nuts and the associated bracts.
The main host is hazelnut, but it has been reported on other species including walnut, spruce, pine, and yarrow.
In other countries, the species has reportedly a broad geographic distribution that includes Europe (from Spain to western Russia), China, and the United States of America.
Hazelnut mites have been reported as destructive to some economic crops with some varieties more susceptible.
