First report of Aleurocanthus spiniferus in France
The NPPO of France recently informed the EPPO Secretariat of the first record of Aleurocanthus spiniferus (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae – EPPO A2 List) on its territory. Following an initial report from a member of the public via a citizen science app, the presence of the pest was officially confirmed in the department of Gard in June 2023. Further surveys were conducted, and the insect was detected in 4 municipalities (Aubord, Bernis, Uchaud, Vestric-et-Candiac) in Gard department and 1 municipality (Lunel) in Hérault department, including a nursery, public sites and private gardens. A. spiniferus has been recorded on various plant species, such as: Citrus deliciosa, C. limon, Citrus sp., Eriobotrya japonica, Hedera sp., Malus sp., Rosa sp., Punica granatum, Pyracantha sp., Pyrus calleryana, Vitis vinifera. In all cases, only a few leaves were infested.
Phytosanitary measures are being implemented, including delimiting surveys (within a radius of 10 km around each detection site) and trace-back investigations. In the nursery, all infested plants will be destroyed, insecticide treatments will be applied, and restrictions on the movements of plants will be implemented. In private gardens and public sites, the infested parts of the plants will be destroyed.
The pest status of A. spiniferus in France is under determination.
Sources
NPPO of France (2023-07).