First report of Thrips palmi in Cuba
The first report of Thrips palmi (EPPO A1 quarantine pest) in Cuba is brought to the attention of the EPPO Secretariat in a slightly unusual way. A small paper published in Agrow noted that the US State Department denied the claim made by the Cuban government that US had deliberately introduced T. palmi into Cuba by means of a crop spraying aircraft. Whatever the means of introduction were, it now seems that T. palmi is indeed present in Cuba.
Sources
Anonymous (1997) US News in Brief – US denies deliberate pest release in Cuba.
Agrow, no. 280, p 16.