Liriomyza huidobrensis eradicated from Norway
During summer 1995, Liriomyza huidobrensis (EPPO A2 quarantine pest) was found in three glasshouses on different localities on the south-western coastal part of Norway, at Jæren, near Stavanger, in Rogaland county. For the first grower, the pest was found on Gypsophila imported from the Netherlands. For the second grower, L. huidobrensis was found on Verbena and Diascia. The origin of the plants remains unclear, but they could have been bought from a third grower, who had an infestation on Gypsophila imported from Israel. Immediate action was taken by the Norwegian authorities. The infested plants were destroyed and the glasshouses disinfected. Surveys were carried by placing yellow sticky traps in these glasshouses (1 trap per 100 m2), and no further infestation of leafminers was observed in 1995 or in 1996.
In addition, an outdoor survey on 40 fields situated in the coastal area of Oslo-Stavanger was carried out in September 1996. On each locality, cultivated host plants and weeds were observed for symptoms of leaf miners, and sweep net samples were taken. In October 1996, another survey was done in Norwegian glasshouses by using yellow sticky traps (1 trap per 200 m2). It included 104 firms in 14 of the 18 counties of Norway, which represents 8.2 % of the total number of glasshouse firms and 9.3 % of the total area of glasshouses in Norway. During these two surveys, no specimen of L. huidobrensis, L. sativae (EPPO A1 quarantine pest), L. trifolii (EPPO A2 quarantine pest) or Amauromyza maculosa (EPPO A1 quarantine pest) was found. It was concluded that, after the limited outbreak of 1995, the pest has been eradicated from Norway.
Sources
Plant Protection Service of Norway, 1997-04.