First report of Diabrotica virgifera virgifera in France
The French NPPO recently informed the EPPO Secretariat that the presence of Diabrotica virgifera virgifera in France was confirmed on 2002-08-21 by the National Laboratory of Entomology, Montpellier. The first specimens were trapped on 2002-08-19, near Le Bourget and Roissy airports (region Ile de France). D. virgifera virgifera has since also been trapped near Orly airport, in the same region. A compulsory control order was immediately made and officially published. Several areas have been defined around the sites where the insect was detected: a quarantine area (within a radius of 5 km around the detection site), a first buffer zone (within a radius of 10 km) and a second buffer zone (within a radius of 40 km). In these areas, monitoring will be intensified to determine the extent of infestation. In the quarantine area, the following measures are being taken: restrictions on the movement of green maize and agricultural machinery, maize not to be harvested before 1st October, compulsory crop rotation, control of grass weeds, insecticide treatments against the adults (in the first year of discovery) and later against both larvae and adults. In the first buffer zone, crop rotation and insecticide treatments are required. Finally, in the second buffer zone, crop rotation only is required. The situation of D. virgifera virgifera in France can be described as follows: Present, found for the first time in August 2002, near the airports of Le Bourget, Roissy and Orly (Ile de France), under official control.
Sources
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NPPO of France, 2002-08.
Arrêté du 22 août 2002 relatif à la lutte contre Diabrotica virgifera virgifera Le Conte. Journal Officiel 196 du 23 Août 2002, p 14097.
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