(Pictured) SRA project team – Entomologist Dr Emtia Chandrima and Entomology Research Scientist Dr Samuel Bawa at one of the canegrub trial sites in the Mackay region.
Growers, millers and industry are invited to the upcoming SRA webinar ‘Research updates – Sugarcane Soldier Flies & Canegrub Beetles and Volatiles’. Join the webinar from your home or workplace, and ask questions if you like in the Q&A session at the end with SRA’s lead researchers. Can’t make this time? That is okay – register and we will email you the webinar video after the event.
SRA Presenters:
Dr. Emtia Chandrima, Entomologist
Dr. Samuel Bawa, Entomology Research Scientist
Webinar chair: Dr. Nathalie Piperidis, Cytogeneticist
Date: Thursday 11 December 2025
Time: 2pm (AEST)
Register: SRA December webinar
About this webinar (includes two presentations and Q&A session)
1. Presentation by Emtia Chandrima, Entomologist (SRA)
Title: Sugarcane Soldier Flies: Research Updates on Species Composition and In-Vitro Rearing Advances
Soldier flies (Inopus spp.) are major pests of sugarcane in several cane-growing districts, whose root-feeding larvae cause major yield losses, and their complex life cycle and patchy distribution make them difficult to manage. Recent work suggests multiple previously unrecognised species, but their distribution, economic impact, and varietal susceptibility across all Inopus species remain poorly characterised. Previous insecticide and varietal trials have been unsuccessful, leaving only cultural control options recommended by SRA. This presentation will outline recent surveys on soldier fly distribution, provide updates on species composition based on taxonomic and molecular analyses, and present progress toward developing an in-vitro rearing system for rapid screening of control options.
About the presenter:
Dr. Emtia Chandrima has over 17 years of international experience in Applied Entomology across academia and industry, she specialises in sustainable and eco-friendly insect pest management. Her current work focuses on management of key pests such as cane grubs, moth borers, soldier flies, major insect vectors in the sugarcane industry.
2. Presentation by Dr. Samuel Bawa, Entomology Research Scientist (SRA)
Title: Identification of volatile organic compounds in three host plants of Australian cane beetles
Greyback beetle (Dermolepida albohirtum Waterhouse) is the most widely distributed and most damaging species of commercial sugarcane. For decades, cane grub management in Australian sugarcane has relied mainly on a single active chemical insecticide to control the root-feeding life stage, the larvae or grub. This presentation examines a novel approach to control adult beetles without the use of chemical insecticides by using of plant volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by host plants. VOCs can play critical role in cane beetle aggregation at feeding sites, as they can attract both sexes. Profiling of VOCs released by cane beetle host plants could help identify potential attractive candidate compounds, which in the long-term would ultimately open the way to for future novel management approaches.
About the presenter:
Dr. Bawa, is an Entomology Research Scientist. He joined SRA Meringa in 2020 where he works on cane grubs and soldier flies. His research focuses on insect chemical ecology, applied entomology, and IPM. His passion lies in translating scientific discoveries into real-world solutions.
Date: Thursday 11 December 2025
Time: 2pm (AEST)
Register: SRA December webinar
