Incursion of Thaumatotibia leucotreta in the Czech Republic
During a faunistic study on lepidoptera conducted in the Czech Republic, 1 female specimen of Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae – EPPO A2 List) was collected in July 2017 near Dobroměřice (Louny district) in Bohemia. This is the first time that this insect is detected in the Czech Republic (Šumpich et al., 2021 and 2022).
Following the publication of this isolated finding, the NPPO of the Czech Republic explained that the annual official surveys for T. leucotreta which have been carried out since 2016 in protected crops had not detected it. It is hypothesized that the pest had escaped from a facility where it had been introduced. It is also noted that T. leucotreta is not expected to survive the winter conditions of Central Europe, and that its establishment outdoors is considered most unlikely. However, a specific survey will be carried out in 2023 in the area where the specimen of T. leucotreta was collected, both in protected and field conditions, to verify the absence of the pest.
The situation of Thaumatotibia leucotreta in the Czech Republic can be described as follows: Transient.
Sources
NPPO of the Czech Republic (2023-02).
Šumpich J, Liška J, Laštůvka A, Sitek J, Skyva J, Vávra J, Maršík L, Dvořák I, Žemlička M, Kabátek P, Laštůvka Z, Marek J, Marek S, Mikát M, Vacula D, Křivan V, Elsner G, Volf M, Jirgl T, Krejčík P, Hromádková V, Richter I (2022) Faunistic records from the Czech Republic – 530: Lepidoptera. Klapalekiana 58, 121–140.
Šumpich J, Žemlička M, Liška J, Skyva J (2021) [On the lepidopteran fauna (Lepidoptera) of northern Bohemia – II]. Sborník Severočeského Muzea, Přírodní Vědy 39, 37–166 (in Czech).
EPPO PRA for Thaumatotibia leucotreta. https://pra.eppo.int/pra/9305d7ed-2788-46dc-882d-b4641fa24fff