New data on quarantine pests and pests of the EPPO Alert List
By searching through the literature, the EPPO Secretariat has extracted the following new data concerning quarantine pests and pests included (or formerly included) on the EPPO Alert List, and indicated in bold the situation of the pest concerned using the terms of ISPM no. 8.
- New records
Cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus (Crinivirus, CCYV) is reported for the first time in India. From August 2020 to January 2021, stunted pumpkin plants (Cucurbita moschata), showing chlorotic patches, mosaic, and vein banding on leaves, were observed in the experimental fields of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, India (Kumar et al., 2021). The identity of the virus was confirmed by RT-PCR and sequencing. Present.
Hercinothrips dimidiatus (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) was first found in Sicilia (Italy) on two plants of Aloe arborescens in a private garden (Schifani & Mazza, 2021). This thrips was first observed in the EPPO region in Portugal in 2015, the Netherlands in 2016, and in Corse (France) in 2018. Present, few occurrences.
The root-knot nematode Meloidogyne enterolobii (EPPO A2 List) is reported for the first time from Taiwan, infecting a new host plant Euphorbia pulcherrima in a commercial greenhouse located in Nantou County (Liang & Chen, 2021). Present.
In 2020, tar spot of maize caused by Phyllachora maydis (EPPO Alert List) was first found in Southern Ontario, Canada (Rocco da Silva et al., 2021). Present, not widely distributed.
In Albania symptoms of tomato brown rugose fruit virus (Tobamovirus, ToBRFV – EPPO A2 List) were first observed in October 2021 on greenhouse tomato crops (Solanum lycopersicum) in the regions of Fier and Berat. The identity of the virus was confirmed by RT-PCR. Present.
In Lebanon, virus symptoms have been observed in early 2020 on greenhouse-cultivated sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum) plants in the coastal region of Byblos. The virus was identified as tomato brown rugose fruit virus (Tobamovirus, ToBRFV – EPPO A2 List) following the EPPO Diagnostic Protocol PM 7/146. The article also reports the presence of ToBRFV on sweet peppers in Syria (region of Tartous). Present.
- Detailed records
In South Africa, several male specimens of Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae – EPPO A1 List) were detected in the Sundays River Valley area in Eastern Cape Province, between May and August 2021. After several delimiting surveys and eradication campaigns, it has been decided that eradication of the pest within the affected area was no longer feasible. The movement of host plants out of this area to other areas of the Eastern Cape Province, which are still free from B. dorsalis will be regulated to prevent its spread.
The pest status of Bactrocera dorsalis in South Africa is officially declared as: Present: not widely distributed and under official control (2021-12).
In Ukraine, Arboridia kakogawana (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae – EPPO Alert List) was first recorded in Crimea. It is now also recorded in Southern Ukraine in the regions of Kherson, Mykolaiv, and Odessa where it is noted as abundant in vineyards (Vitis vinifera). Two other invasive cicadas are also recorded Metcalfa pruinosa (Hemiptera: Flatidae) and Stictocephala bisonia (Hemiptera: Membracidae) (Gulyaeva et al., 2021).
In Russia, Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae – EPPO A2 List) was found in 2017 and 2020 in the city of Sochi, Krasnodar territory. The identity of the pest was confirmed in 2021. This is the first time that this pest is found in the Russian Caucasus (Bieńkowski & Orlova-Bienkowskaja, 2020; Orlova-Bienkowskaja et al., 2021).
In Turkey, the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne chitwoodi (EPPO A2 List) was first recorded in 2006 from the Niğde Province (Central Anatolia) (EPPO RS 2009/063). M. chitwoodi is noted as the most common root-knot nematode in potato crops in Nevşehir Province (Central Anatolia) and Izmir Province (Aegean Region) (Evlice et al., 2022; Pehlivan et al., 2020).
- Eradication
In the Netherlands, two outbreaks of Eotetranychus lewisi (Acari: Tetranychidae - EU Annexes) on poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) occurred at the end of the summer 2021 (EPPO RS 2021/242). Eradication measures were successfully applied (NPPO of the Netherlands 2021-12).
The pest status of Eotetranychus lewisi in the Netherlands is officially declared as: Absent, pest eradicated.
- Host plants
Natural infection of courgette (Cucurbita pepo) by tomato chlorosis virus (Crinivirus, ToCV – EPPO A2 List) is reported from the first time. ToCV was detected in samples taken from several greenhouses in Shandong (China) in single or mixed infection with cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus. Symptoms were first observed in September 2018 and 2019 (Sun et al., 2021).
- New pests and taxonomy
The fungus initially described as Ceratocystis wageneri and then as Ophiostoma wageneri (EPPO A1 List) has been transferred to the genus Grosmannia (Zipfel et al., 2006; de Beer et al., 2013).
Sources
Abou Kubaa R, Choueiri E, Heinoun K, Cillo F, Saponari M (2021) First report of tomato brown rugose fruit virus infecting sweet pepper in Syria and Lebanon. Journal of Plant Pathology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42161-021-00987-y
Bieńkowski AO, Orlova-Bienkowskaja MJ (2020) Invasive agricultural pest Drosophila suzukii (Diptera, Drosophilidae) appeared in the Russian Caucasus. Insects 11, 826.
De Beer ZW, Seifert KA, Wingfield MJ (2013) A nomenclator for ophiostomatoid genera and species in the Ophiostomatales and Microascales. Biodiversity Series 12, 245-322.
Evlice E, Toktay H, Yatkın G, Erdoğuş FD, İmren M (2022) Population fluctuations of root-knot nematodes Meloidogyne chitwoodi and M. hapla under field conditions. Phytoparasitica 50(1), 233-242.
Gulyaeva II, Kraynov OO, Hubych OY, Stankevych SV, Zabrodina IV, Matsyura AV (2021) Dominant sucker pests on industrial vineyards and protective measures in the regulation of their abundance in the conditions of the northern Black Sea. Ukrainian Journal of Ecology 11(3), 373-384.
IPPC website. Official Pest Reports – South Africa (2021-12-09) Notification on the change of status of Bactrocera dorsalis (Oriental Fruit Fly) in Sunday’s River Valley, Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. https://www.ippc.int/en/countries/all/pestreport/
Kumar A, Rout BM, Choudhary S, Sureja AK, Baranwal VK, Pant RP, Kaur B, Jain RK, Basavaraj YB (2021) First report of cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus (CCYV) infecting pumpkin in India. Plant Disease (early view). https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-07-21-1473-PDN.
Liang CC, Chen PJ (2021) First report of root-knot nematode Meloidogyne enterolobii on poinsettia ‘Luv U Pink’ in Taiwan. Plant Disease (early view) https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-09-21-1899-PDN
NPPO of the Netherlands (2021-12). https://english.nvwa.nl/topics/pest-reporting/documents/plant/plant-health/pest-reporting/documents/pest-report-eotetranychus-lewisi-december-2021
Orfanidou CG, Cara M, Merkuri J, Papadimitriou K, Katis NI, Maliogka VI (2022) First report of tomato brown rugose fruit virus in tomato in Albania. Journal of Plant Pathology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42161-022-01060-y
Orlova-Bienkowskaja MJ, Bieńkowski AO, Taddei A, Balmès V (2021) Confirmation of Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) report in the Russian Caucasus. EPPO Bulletin 51(3), 628–631.
Pehlivan HD, Kaşkavalci G, Uludamar Eb, Toktay H, Elekcioğlu H (2020) Identification and prevalence of potato cyst nematodes and root-knot nematodes in the potato production areas of İzmir Province, Turkey. Turkish Journal of Entomology 44(2), 259-272.
Rocco da Silva C, Check J, MacCready JS, Alakonya AE, Beiriger R, Bissonnette KM, Collins A, Cruz CD, Esker PD, Goodwin SB, Malvick D (2021) Recovery plan for tar spot of corn, caused by Phyllachora maydis. Plant Health Progress 22, 256-616. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHP-04-21-0074-RP
Schifani E, Mazza G (2021) Hercinothrips dimidiatus (Thysanoptera, Thripidae), an emerging pest of Aloe arborescens [Asphodelaceae] newly recorded from Italy. Zootaxa, 5039(3), 440-442.
Sun X, Qiao N, Zhang X, Zang L, Zhao D, Zhu X (2021) First report of natural infection of zucchini by tomato chlorosis virus and cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus in China. Plant Disease (early view). https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-05-20-0932-PDN
Zipfel RD, de Beer WZ, Jocobs K, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ (2006) Multi-gene phylogenies define Ceratocystiopsis and Grosmannia distinct from Ophiostoma. Studies in Mycology 55, 75-97.