Introduction

The case studies will be useful in exploring the concepts underpinning successful Community Engagement, in this case using biosecurity examples.

The case studies explored here are:

• Papaya fruit fly Bactrocera papayae Drew & Hancock - eradicated from Queensland, but is estimated to have cost industry $100million in direct and indirect costs
• Currant lettuce aphid Nasonovia ribisnigri (Mosley) - confirmed in Tasmania, eastern and metropolitan Melbourne, and the Sydney basin; a pest of vegetables
• Red imported fire ant Solenopsis invicta Buren - in Queensland near Gladstone and Brisbane region; surveillance, treatment and containment ongoing; QLD legislation requires suspected sightings to be reported to DPI&F
• Red banded mango caterpillar Deanolis sublimbalis Snellen- detected on Torres Strait Islands since 1990, now occurs at locations near the northern tip of Cape York Peninsula; although actively contained, it poses a threat to the mango industry

For each case study you are invited to investgate

• the ecology and biology of each pest organism
• the community of interest surrounding the particular pest
• how the community and the pest interact to promote or reduce dispersal
• the strategies for community engagement already implemented or proposed
• whether management planning has been successful and why
• possible improvements to the management of biosecurity for the case organism

Please use the recommended resources, and others you locate yourself, along with the prompting questions to explore this biosecurity emergency further. While many of the resources relate to important ecological, biological or economic information, please also read these resources through the lens of community engagement. In some cases the resources will include material specifically aimed at engaging the community.

• Introduction
• Papaya Fruit Fly
• Currant Lettuce Aphid
• Red Imported Fire Ant
• Red Banded Mango Caterpillar