Pests newly found or intercepted in the Netherlands
The NPPO of the Netherlands recently provided the EPPO Secretariat with the following summary of recent findings or interceptions made during import in the Netherlands of new possibly harmful organisms.
- Snails
Bradybaena similaris (Mollusca: Bradybaenidae).
This snail was found on Ficus pot plants originating from China in the tropical glasshouse of the Burger's Bush Zoo.
Distribution: Asia (South East), South America, Central America, North America (Southern USA), Africa (Madagascar, South Africa), and many islands in the Pacific.
Host plants: polyphagous snail, damage has been reported on citrus in the USA and on Vitis in Taiwan.
- Insects
Exophthalmus jekelianus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)
This weevil was found on Ficus nursery stock originating from Costa Rica.
Distribution: Central America and Caribbean (Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Trinidad), South America (Colombia).
Host plants: economic damage (defoliation) has been described in Coffea arabica. E. jekelianus is probably a polyphagous beetle but in most crops, no serious damage is observed.
Cephrenes trichopepla (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) – yellow palm-dart
Caterpillars were intercepted during import on Livistona plants from Sri Lanka.
Distribution: Asia (Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka and probably other tropical Asian countries), Oceania (Australia, Papua New Guinea).
Host plants: palm trees, including Cocos nucifera (coconut), Livistona and Phoenix.
Conotrachelus cristatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)
This species was intercepted during import on Codiaeum plants from Costa Rica.
Distribution: North America: Mexico, USA (no details), Central America and Caribbean (Belize, Costa Rica, Guadeloupe, Guatamala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago), South America (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela.
Host plants: according to the literature the main economic host is Arracacia xanthorrhiza (arracacha, batata-salsa, mandioquinha-salsa - Apiaceae). Adult weevils feed on leaves and petioles, and larvae feed on the tubers. C. cristatus has also been reported on Inga spp. (Fabaceae) and Hibiscus (Malvaceae), but Codiaeum is not recorded as a host plant.
Cylas formicarius (Coleoptera: Apionidae) - sweet potato weevil
This species was intercepted during import on Ipomoea batatas from Vietnam.
Distribution: Southern North America, Central America (part) and Caribbean, Africa, Asia and Oceania.
Host plants: C. formicarius is a polyphagous weevil but its major economic host is Ipomoea batatas (sweet potato). Other hosts are Daucus carota (carrot) and Manihot esculenta (cassava) and many plant species belonging to the Apiaceae, Araceae, Brassicaceae, Dioscoreaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Maranthaceae, Piperaceae families.
- Pathogens
Chrysanthemum chlorotic mottle viroid (Pelamoviroid, CChMVd)
CChMVd was detected in chrysanthemums at a nursery in the Netherlands.
Distribution: CChMVd has been reported from the following countries but it probably has a wider distribution. EPPO region (Denmark, France, Netherlands), Asia (China, India, Japan), North America (USA).
Host plants: chrysanthemums (Dendranthema spp.) but no economic damage has been reported (CChMVd causes only mild symptoms).
Sources
NPPO of the Netherlands (2011-11).