First report of Diabrotica virgifera in Belgium
In Belgium, in September 2003, 52 specimens of Diabrotica virgifera (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae – EPPO A2 list) were trapped near Zaventem Airport (Brussels). The relatively high number of insects suggests that there is an established population which could have been introduced in 2002. Eradication measures have immediately been put in place. A quarantine area (1 km radius) has been delimited around each infested plot with a buffer zone (5 km radius). It is prohibited to move fresh maize, soil, bulbs and tubers outside quarantine areas. Harvest should not be done before 1st October. Chemical treatments against the adults are applied in maize fields. Machinery must be disinfected before leaving the focus zone. Pest monitoring will be intensified in quarantine areas and buffer zones. The situation of D. virgifera in Belgium can be described as follows: Present, few specimens trapped near Zaventem airport, under eradication.
Sources
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Web site of the Food Agency of Belgium (AFSCA)
Communiqué de presse 2003-09-05. Un coléoptère exotique menace nos champs de maïs. Chrysomèle des racines du maïs.
http://www.favv-afsca.fgov.be
NPPO of Belgium, 2003-11.
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