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Dendrobium Beetles - Stethopachys formosa Time to revisit

Dendrobium Beetle Stethopachys formosa      The Destroyer!!!
As The Australian Orchid Nursery is located 75 kilometres south east of Melbourne we have no epiphytic orchids or ferns within 300 kilometres of us. As a result, there are no natural orchid pests such as Dendrobium beetles down here!
 
Our cold winters don't allow them to survive. It seems they start around Lakes Entrance in far east Victoria and then go all the way to Cape York in north Queensland. I have only seen them in the wild three times. Once at Merimbula on an isolated outcrop of Dendrobium speciosums, once at Brogo NSW, and finally on the Atherton Tableland munching on Dendrobium speciosum pedunculatums.
 
    
I would try Diazonon for an instant kill of the grubs, followed by Confidor pills to stop re-infection, then a Carbaryl spray over the leaves and blooms to take out the adults eating.
For those that like using the bigs guns for commercial control there is a PDF below on the subject. Its the online Wiley one.
If you have any tips for helping get rid of Dendrobium beetles, please comment below!
Over on our Facebook, Phil has one piece of advice that I'm sure has 100% effectiveness!
Here are some great links though to make you all experts.

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  • Kerrie Lee on

    For everyones interest I also have this beetle and live in Wentworth Falls, in the NSW Blue Mountains.

  • Wayne Turville on

    WE still sell carbaryl at AON

  • Angela on

    Just read that Yates no longer produce Carbaryl; what else is recommended nowadays, please?

  • Leigh on

    Hi.
    I’m in Brisbane and have only had orchids for a few years. I first saw these pretty beetles way before my orchids came onto the menu. For years they have been attacking a tree next to my home….it’s a Brachychiton Discolor, commonly known as either, White Kurrajong , Scrub Bottle Tree or Lacebark.
    This tree often has about a hundred beetles visible chomping away merrily on the leaves.
    Strangely though I have only had minor damage to my orchids.
    And my Dens are not their first choice.
    A half dozen beetles in the last 2 yrs and no evidence of egg laying and my orchids are in the open and within 15 meters of the tree.
    Luck of the draw I guess.
    I can’t do anything about the beetles in the tree but my control method in the orchids is catch and squash.

  • Mary Tang on

    They are definitely in Sydney’s Lower North Shore. I squash them when I can catch them but so far no huge damage.

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