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 8.
- New record
Meloidogyne mali (EPPO A2 List) is reported for the first time from the Republic of Korea. During a study on Meloidogyne species, root galls were observed on an Acer palmatum tree collected in the Naejangsan National Park. The identity of the nematode was confirmed by morphological and molecular tests, as well as by pathogenicity tests. During these studies, M. mali was not found on other economically important host plants, such as grapevine. It is noted that M. mali is a quarantine pest in the Republic of Korea and that regular monitoring will be needed (Kang et al., 2022).
Paysandisia archon (Lepidoptera: Castniidae – EPPO A2 List) occurs on the southern coast of Crimea since 2018. Ceroplastes ceriferus (Hemiptera: Coccidae, formerly EPPO Alert List) has also been recorded in Crimea since 2019 (Stryukova & Stryukov, 2022).
Squash leaf curl virus (SLCV, Begomovirus - EPPO A2 List) was detected for the first time in Indonesia in 2020. SLCV was identified from symptomatic butternut squash (Cucurbita moschata) in the island of Bali (Nusa Tenggara). SLCV was found in three regions of Bali and caused 10 to 26% yield loss (Selangga & Listihani, 2022).
Xanthomonas phaseoli pv. phaseoli (EPPO A2 List) is first reported from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The bacterium was detected in 2016-2017 in local varieties of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) seeds deposited in the national gene bank. X. citri pv. fuscans was not detected. The authors note that conservation of these varieties is of national interest, however, reproduction of all infected samples is prohibited in pest-free areas for commercial seed production (Sopic et al., 2021).
- Detailed records
In Tamil Nadu, India, an outbreak of Liriomyza huidobrensis (Diptera: Agromyzidae – EPPO A2 List) was observed in 2020 in potato crops in several localities of the Nilgiri Hills. The pest was also found on other crops (e.g. carrot, beetroot, garlic, beans and broccoli) and weeds (Amaranthus sp., Bidens pilosa, Chenopodium spp., Galinsoga parviflora, Hypochaeris glabra, Solanum nigrum and Sonchus oleraceus) (Mhatre et al., 2022).
In Australia the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne enterolobii (EPPO A2 List) was first reported in October 2022 in the Northern Territory (EPPO RS 2022/241). In December 2022 it was detected in a property in North Queensland. Investigations are underway to determine whether this is an isolated occurence, or if the pest is more widespread, and to prevent any further spread. As of December 2022, it is unknown if the recent detection in Queensland has any connection to the earlier detections of the pest in the Northern Territory (Queensland Government, 2022).
In China, Xanthomonas fragariae (EPPO A2 List) is reported for the first time from the province of Yunnan. Symptoms of bacterial angular leaf spot were observed for the first time in the strawberry-growing regions of Yuxi and Kunming in September 2021. The average disease incidence in an infected field was 10-20% but could reach up to 40%. The identity of the bacterium was confirmed by molecular and pathogenicity tests (Zhang et al., 2022).
In Brazil, citrus greening has been detected for the first time in 2022 in the state of Santa Catarina. Plants with symptoms were found in the municipalities of Xanxerê, Abelardo Luz and São Domingos. It is hypothesised that the introduction of greening occurred through infected seedlings, originating from illegal trade. Official measures are being applied to prevent the spread of the disease (Fondecitrus, 2022). The Liberibacter species is not specified but the most prevalent Liberibacter species in Brazil is ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ (EPPO A1 List).
In the USA, tar spot of maize caused by Phyllachora maydis (EPPO Alert List) was first reported in five counties in Kansas in October 2022 (Kansas State University, 2022).
- Eradication
In Italy, the outbreak of the fungus Geosmithia morbida and its vector Pityophthorus juglandis (Coleoptera: Scolytidae - walnut twig beetle) the causal agents of thousand cankers disease (EPPO A2 List) found in 2019 in the municipality of Luzzara (region of Emilia-Romagna) (EPPO RS 2019/102) is considered eradicated. During the period 2019-2022 surveys were carried out in the demarcated area as laid down in the Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/2032 and no infected Juglans tree was detected.
The situation of Geosmithia morbida in Italy is officially declared as: Present, only in some parts of the Member State concerned (NPPO of Italy, 2022-12).
- Host plants
In September 2020, Meloidogyne enterolobii (EPPO A2 List) was found causing root galls on a Celosia argentea var. cristata (Amaranthaceae) plant in a garden in Taichung, Taiwan (Ho et al., 2022).
- New pests and taxonomy
Bactrocera divenderi Maneesh, Hancock and Prabhakar, sp. n. is a new species in the B. nigrotibialis complex and is a pest of horticultural importance. Earlier it was misidentified as B. nigrofemoralis White & Tsuruta and its significance as a pest was unrecognized. This species is present in Himachal Pradesh, Northern India and also recorded from Bhutan and Northern Pakistan. B. divenderi is monophagous on peach and nectarine (Prunus persica) and has replaced B. zonata as a pest in peach orchards in the Himalayas in recent years (Singh et al., 2022). All Bactrocera spp. except B. oleae are A1 quarantine pests for the EU.
Sources
Fondecitrus (2022-10-11) Estado de Santa Catarina confirma detecção de greening em plantas de citros. https://www.fundecitrus.com.br/comunicacao/noticias/integra/estado-de-santa-catarina-confirma-deteccao-de-greening-em-plantas-de-citros/1241
Ho JT, Liang CC, Chen PJ (2022) First report of root-knot nematode Meloidogyne enterolobii on cockscomb (Celosia argentea var. cristata) in Taiwan. Plant Disease 106(7), 2000. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-10-21-2126-PDN
Kang H, Seo J, Ko HR, Park S, Park NS, Park BY, Choi I (2022) First report of the apple root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne mali, on maple trees in the Republic of Korea. Plant Disease 106(7), 2001-2002. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-09-21-2121-PDN
Kansas State University (2022-10-13) Tar spot of corn is now confirmed in five counties in Kansas. Agronomy eUpdate Issue 928. http://webapp.agron.ksu.edu/agr_social/m_eu_article.throck?article_id=3258
Mhatre PH, Thube SH, Navik O, Venkatasalam EP, Sharma S (2022) Outbreak and management of serpentine leaf miner, Liriomyza huidobrensis (Blanchard) (Diptera: Agromyzidae), on potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) crop in India. Potato Research 65(4), 809-827.
NPPO of Italy (2022-12).
Queensland Government (2022-12-23) Guava root-knot nematode detected in North Queensland. Biosecurity alert, Department of agriculture and fisheries. https://app4.vision6.com.au/em/message/email/view.php?id=1298659&a=10433&k=iFJAyqPMmyr4XQur86EnTD9FyY4P71wKTdTVW1FUXdg
Selangga DGW, Listihani L (2022) Squash leaf curl virus: Species of begomovirus as the cause of butternut squash yield losses in Indonesia. Hayati Journal of Biosciences 29(6), 806-813. https://doi.org/10.4308/hjb.29.6.806-813
Sopic BR, Lamovšek J, Lolic S, Đuric G, Antic M (2021) First report of Xanthomonas phaseoli pv. phaseoli in locally produced bean seeds in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Journal of Plant Pathology 103(1), 395-396.
Singh MP, Sharma I, Hancock DL, Prabhakar CS (2022) A new species of Bactrocera Macquart and a new distribution record of Dacus Fabricius (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacinae) from India. Zootaxa 5168(2), 237-250.
Stryukova NM, Stryukov AA (2022) Alien insects – phytophages of agricultural, ornamental and forest plantations of the Crimea. Plant Health and Quarantine 2022(4), 16-32. https://phytosanitary.vniikr.ru/jour/article/view/116
Zhang J, He Y, Ahmed W, Wan X, Wei L, Ji G (2022) First report of bacterial angular leaf spot of strawberry caused by Xanthomonas fragariae in Yunnan province, China. Plant Disease 106(7), 1978. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-12-21-2648-PDN