Aceria kuko reported from several European countries
Aceria kuko (Acari: Eriophyidae) is a gall mite originating from Asia. According to the literature, it feeds on Lycium chinense, L. barbarum, Solanum nigrum and Capsicum annuum (all Solanaceae). This mite causes rounded galls on Lycium spp. leaves, initially yellowish green then violet in colour, and projected from both sides of the leaves. In 2008, the NPPO of the United Kingdom became aware that large numbers of dormant ‘goji’ plants (Lycium barbarum) were being imported from China via mail order sales and distributed across the country, despite the fact that imports of Solanaceae plants for planting from third countries are prohibited within the European Union territory. The same year, A. kuko was found on goji plants showing leaf galls which had been collected from 3 locations in England (EPPO RS 2008/222). Infected plants were destroyed and no further infestations have been reported from the United Kingdom. In 2011 and 2012, several cases were reported from Germany (EPPO RS 2011/218, EPPO RS 2012/233) and eradication measures were taken. Since these initial reports, more European countries have reported the pest on their territory, although the establishment of A. kuko remains to be verified in many cases.
- Bulgaria: first reported in 2016 in Plovdiv (Bulgarian Food Safety Agency, 2016).
- Cyprus: first found in October 2013 on L. barbarum showing leaf galls (Seraphides, 2014).
- France: presence of A. kuko was confirmed in 2015 (Anses, 2015).
- Greece: first found in 2012 in samples of L. barbarum which had been collected in Orestiada (Evros), and Xanthi on plants which had been imported from Germany and ordered by Internet. As infested plants have been destroyed and no further reports have been made, it can be assumed that the pest is not established (PlantDirect, 2012).
- Hungary: first found in 2014 on L. barbarum in Budapest (Budafok and Sasad) and Heves (Ripka et al., 2015; Ripka and Sánchez, 2017).
- Romania: first found in 2013 in Bucharest. Observations made on goji plants in an experimental field of the University of Agronomic Science and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest showed that A. kuko caused severe losses. It was estimated that production losses reached 80-100%, as the majority of flower buds were distorted by galls (Ciceoi & Mardares, 2016a and 2016b).
- Serbia: A. kuko was first reported in 2015. The pest was found near Sombor in a private plantation (0.5 ha) of L. chinense.
- Slovenia: A. kuko was first found in 2012 on L. barbarum in 2 localities (Maribor and Ljubljana) (Seljak, 2013).
Sources
Anses (2015) Rapport annuel d’activité, année 2015. Laboratoire National de Référence, 12 pp. https://www.anses.fr/fr/system/files/LABO-Ft-Ra2015LNRInsectes.pdf
Ciceoi R, Mardare ES (2016a) Aceria kuko mites: a comprehensive review of their phytosanitary risk, pathways and control. Bulletin UASVM Horticulture 73(2), 89-100.
Ciceoi R, Mardare ES (2016b) The risks assessment of Aceria kuko (Kishida) and Halyomorpha halys (Stal) pests for the Romanian goji growers. Poster presented at the Joint EFSA-EPPO Workshop: Modelling in Plant Health – how can models support risk assessment of plant pests and decision-making? (Parma, IT, 2016-12-12/14). http://archives.eppo.int/MEETINGS/2016_conferences/modelling/161212_posters.zip
INTERNET
- Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (2016) [The Bulgarian Food Safety Agency has taken action against a new pest]. News of 2016-08-24 (in Bulgarian). http://www.babh.government.bg
- Plant Direct. [First report of Aceria kuko on goji berries in Greece]. http://plantdirect.blogspot.fr/2012/08/aceria-kuko-goji-berry.html
Ripka G, Érsek L, Rózsahegyi P, Vétek G (2015) [First occurrence of an alien eriophyoid mite species, Aceria kuko (Kishida) (Prostigmata: Eriophyidae) in Hungary]. Növényvédelem 51(7), 301-307 (in Hungarian).
Ripka G, Sánchez I (2017) A new Aceria species (Acari: Eriophyidae) from Spain on Pycnocomon rutifolium (Dipsacaceae) and supplementary descriptions of Aceria eucricotes and A. kuko from Lycium spp. (Solanaceae). Zootaxa 4244(2), 195-206.
Seljak G (2013) [The dynamics of introduction of alien phytophagous insects and mites into Slovenia]. Acta Entomologica Slovenica 21(2), 85-122 (in Slovenian).
Seraphides NA (2014) First record of the Goji gall mite, Aceria kuko (Acari: Eriophyidae). In: Review for 2012-2013. Agricultural Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment, Lefkosia, p 42.
Vidović B, Vajgand D, Marinković S, Petanović R (2015) Aceria kuko (Kishida) (Acari: Eriophyoidea) – nova štetočina u fauni srbije. XIII Savetovanje o zaštiti Bilja (Zlatibor, RS, 2015-11-23/26), p 56.