Agriculture Department entomologist Darryl Hardie said the Qfly was more invasive than the local fruit fly and would attack a much wider range of produce.
“Qfly is considered Australia’s worst fruit pest, impacting on more than 200 different fruits and some vegetables,” Dr Hardie said.
“It attacks a wide range of hosts including citrus, figs, grapes and mangoes, which are also attacked by the long-established Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly) that is endemic in WA.
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READ NOW“However unlike Medfly, chillies, tomatoes, strawberries, avocados, passionfruit and some vegetables are also attacked by Qfly.”
Dr Hardie said six Queensland fruit fly (Qfly) had been detected in the Alfred Cove area.
He said two male flies were found on November 18 in surveillance traps which form part of the early warning fruit fly trapping system operated by the department.
Supplementary traps were installed and four male flies were caught on November 23 in the same area.
Dr Hardie said Qfly was detected in Perth in 1989, 1995 and 2011 but were eradicated.
It is active in all other states except South Australia and Tasmania.
The department would continue surveillance within a 200m radius of where each fly was found to determine the extent of the outbreak.