Hypercompe icasia intercepted on pot plants in the Netherlands
The NPPO of the Netherlands informed the EPPO Secretariat of the interception of Hypercompe icasia (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae). Insect larvae were found on Dracaena pot plants imported from Costa Rica in 2009. This species had been intercepted before on Begonia pot plants imported from Costa Rica in 2006 (eggs) and in 2008 (larvae). H. icasia is a polyphagous pest (e.g. Apium, Citrus, Musa, Phaseolus, cultivated Solanaceae, Vanilla) which is known to occur in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. In its current area of distribution, the incidence of the pest is generally low and no severe outbreaks have been reported.
Pictures of the adults can be viewed on the Internet: http://www.inra.fr/papillon/arctiid/texteng/h_icasia.htm
Sources
NPPO of the Netherlands, 2009-06.