Findings of Elachiptera decipiens in Germany
The NPPO of Germany recently informed the Secretariat of the record of Elachiptera decipiens (Diptera: Chloropidae) on its territory. E. decipiens is a North American fly species recorded there on prairie grasses.
In July 2015, pupae of E. decipiens were found on one Zea mays plant in a field in Brandenburg. No other infested plants or plants with symptoms were detected in the same field or neighbouring fields. The pest was identified by DNA-sequencing. Inspections in the following years (visual inspections of maize and grasses in the vicinity, and trapping with yellow sticky traps) did not detect the insect in the following years and this outbreak was declared eradicated in June 2021.
In October 2021, one larva of E. decipiens was found in an exit hole of Ostrinia nubilalis (European maize borer) in one Z. mays plant in a maize field in Brandenburg, about 120 km from the previous outbreak. In November 2021, three pupae of E. decipiens were found in one Z. mays plant in a maize field in Brandenburg (about 18 km away from the field where the insect was found in October), also in a stem damaged by O. nubilalis. The field had been already harvested, and no significant damage reported. The insect was identified by DNA-sequencing. The source of both infestations is not yet known. Further surveys will be carried out in 2022 to assess the pest distribution.
An express pest risk assessment had been conducted in 2015 and concluded that E. decipiens may establish in Germany or other EU Member States and cause damage to maize. It will be updated when new information is available. The pest status of Elachiptera decipiens in Germany has not yet been determined.
Sources
JKI (2015) Express – PRA zu Elachiptera decipiens – Auftreten. https://pra.eppo.int/pra/e5d9cbee-3b5d-4680-8e3c-c0c3591c1d19
NPPO of Germany (2021-06, 2021-10).