Australian biosecurity specialist Fintran Australia has delivered a new Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry-approved quarantine treatment pathway for Yellow Spotted Stink Bug (Erthesina fullo).
The new treatment, which is the result of an 18-month long research initiative by Fintran, provides the international shipping and cargo industries with a validated treatment protocol for managing this emerging biosecurity risk. This new treatment is particularly relevant to Australia-bound RoRo, automotive, machinery and breakbulk cargo, originating from countries where YSSB is present, including Japan, South Korea and China.
Yellow Spotted Stink Bug (“YSSB”) was added to Australia’s National Priority Plant Pests Lists after increasing numbers of detections in Australia during 2023 and 2024.
At the time, there was no scientifically quarantine treatment specifically for YSSB. Several vessels were, at great expense, re-exported from Australia during 2023 and 2024 following detections where an accepted treatment pathway was unavailable, Fintran explains.
Shipping Australia understands that industry is already using the treatment and vessels are being saved from re-export.
About YSSB
The YSSB is a widely-distributed phytophagous (plant-eating) Asian insect that mostly lives in trees and bushes (Zhang et al, 2020). It is native across east and south-east Asia. It is known to eat around 60 different plant species including many economically important crops such as kiwifruit, pear, apple, peach, pomegranate, and cherries. It also feeds on woody ornamental and other plants such as pine, poplar, willow and tree of heaven. Whether it becomes a major pest will depend upon the region, hostplant, and local population levels.
YSSB nymphs and adults feed on the plants by using their mouth-parts to pierce a plant. Its saliva causes the breakdown of plant tissue cells to enable the consumption of liquefied contents, which results in discolouration, yellow-brown spots, withering and possibly deterioration. Feeding can also cause the formation of depressed and distorted sites on fruit thereby reducing the commercial value. YSSB can also transmit plant-pathogens to plants, resulting in fruit-rot.
The species has been reported to spread beyond its home range into North America, Europe, and South America. YSSB is a known hitchhiker and has been documented as being carried on passengers, luggage, containers, general cargo, machinery, and vehicles. The adults have also been documented as flying about 3km over five days.
Fintran Australia invests in a solution
Fintran proactively undertook a research initiative in 2024 to establish the efficacy of Sulfuryl Fluoride (SF) against YSSB. Sulfuryl fluoride is a colourless and odourless gas that is heavier than air, which spreads out and seep into cracks and pores. It breaks down into fluoride and sulfate inside of insect bodies, which stops their cells making energy. The insect that uses proteins and amino acids as an alternative source of energy, which eventually kills. Sulfuryl fluoride is a biocide, a substance that will kill all living organisms if exposure is of a high enough concentration over a long enough time (U.S. National Pesticide Information Center, 2011).
Fintran arranged for the collection of thousands of live YSSB specimens for efficacy testing by international scientific partners. Testing was completed in February 2026 with data subsequently provided to DAFF.
Matthew Slavin, Fintran’s CEO said the initiative demonstrated the importance of industry, science and regulators working together to respond to emerging biosecurity challenges.
“We saw an opportunity to use our technical and operational expertise to help find a practical solution for our customers. This project required a significant investment in research and collaboration, but the outcome provides industry with an important treatment for managing YSSB detections. It also reflects the supportive role Fintran plays in the Australian biosecurity ecosystem, not simply delivering established treatments, but identifying emerging risks and developing innovative, practical and scientifically supported solutions that help protect Australia while keeping international trade moving for our customers,” Mr Slavin commented.
About Fintran
Founded in 2008, Fintran is an end-to-end biosecurity specialist that helps organisations manage biosecurity risk from pre arrival planning, regulatory compliance assessments through to treatment and clearance services for bulk cargo movements across international supply chains. The company provides fumigation services in relation to grain bunkers, sheds, silos, silo bags, holds of ships (in-port), holds of ships (in-transit).
References
National Pesticide Information Center. (2011). Sulfuryl fluoride: Technical fact sheet. Oregon State University Extension Services. https://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/archive/sftech.html
Mi, Q., Zhang, J., Gould, E., Chen, J., Sun, Z., & Zhang, F. (2020). Biology, ecology, and management of Erthesina fullo (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae): A review. Insects, 11(6), 346. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects11060346
