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 records
Cucumber vein yellowing virus (Ipomovirus, CVYV – EPPO A2 List) is reported for the first time from Iraq. During the 2022 growing season, courgette (Cucurbita pepo var giromontiina) plants with extensive leaf vein yellowing symptoms, associated with whitefly infestation, were observed near-Yusufiyah, Baghdad Province. In affected fields, disease incidence reached 40-50%. Laboratory analysis confirmed the presence of CVYV in symptomatic leaf samples. Other viruses were also detected, including Squash leaf curl virus (Begomovirus – EPPO A2 List) and Tomato leaf curl Palampur virus (Begomovirus) (Mohammed & Lahuf, 2023). Present, not widely distributed.
Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae – EPPO A2 List) occurs in Equatorial Guinea. Its presence was officially confirmed in May 2021. Larvae and damage were observed in several localities in the provinces of Bioko Sur (Moka) and Bioko Norte (El Gorriaga, Malabo), mainly on maize (Zea mays), and to a lesser extent on sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) and leek (Allium porrum). The identity of the pest was confirmed by morphological characteristics of adult specimens (Rovesti & Mane, 2021). Present, not widely distributed.
Thaumastocoris peregrinus (Hemiptera: Thaumastocoridae – formerly EPPO Alert List) is reported for the first time from Syria. In October 2022, several specimens were collected from Eucalyptus camaldulensis trees near Latakia (Zeity et al., 2023).
Xyleborus bispinatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) is reported for the first time from Spain. It was trapped in the provinces of Alicante, Murcia, and Valencia during studies conducted from 2009 to 2018. No infestations in woody plants were detected near the trapping sites. Stable populations have been detected in a wide area of the central Valencian province, strongly suggesting that X. bispinatus is established there. However, as no recent captures were made in Alicante and Murcia provinces, the insect is probably not established in these areas. It is noted that further studies are needed to identify the host plants of X. bispinatus in Spain, and to better understand its distribution and potential impacts (Gallego et al., 2022).
- Detailed records
In Russia, Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae -EPPO A2 list) has been recorded in Krasnodar krai (Southern European Russia). In 2022, the insect was found in 65 localities from 7 municipalities mainly on Fraxinus pennsylvanica (Shchurov & Zamotajlov, 2022).
In Russia, Gremmeniella abietina (EU Annexes) has been recorded on Picea jezoensis in Khabarovsk (Far East) and on Pinus sylvestris in Krasnoyarsk (Eastern Siberia) (Bogacheva et al., 2020; Sheller et al., 2020).
In Hainan (China), Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii (EPPO A2 List) is reported for the first time on Artocarpus heterophyllus causing jackfruit bronzing disease. On jackfruit, the disease is characterized by yellow-orange to reddish discoloration of the fruit pulp. It is noted that in recent years, the disease has been found in 11 cities and counties of the island. The presence of the bacterium has been confirmed by molecular tests and Koch’s postulates have been completed (Zhao et al., 2023).
In Northern Ireland (United Kingdom), wilt symptoms were observed during summer 2022 on lettuce (Lactuca sativa cv. Amica) grown under a greenhouse in county Armagh. Affected plants initially showed stunting, followed by wilting and yellowing of lower leaves. Orange-brown discoloration of vascular tissue in the tap root of affected plants was also observed. Molecular (PCR, sequencing) and pathogenicity tests confirmed the presence of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lactucae (formerly EPPO Alert List) Race 1 in symptomatic samples (van Amsterdam et al., 2023).
- Host plants
During surveys conducted in 2017-2018 in Istanbul (Türkiye), virus symptoms (mosaic, mottling, chlorotic ringspots and deformations) were observed on leaves of Tilia spp. Symptomatic and asymptomatic samples were collected and laboratory tests (ELISA, RT-PCR, sequencing) confirmed the presence of plum pox virus (Potyvirus – EPPO A2 List) in symptomatic samples. This is the first time that a natural infection of PPV is reported on Tilia sp. It is noted that further studies will be conducted to obtain the full genome sequence of the Tilia isolate and understand its phylogenetic relationship with other published PPV sequences (Çıtır et al., 2021).
Studies conducted in Mexico have confirmed that Physalis virginiana (Solanaceae) is a wild host plant of both ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ (Solanaceae haplotypes are listed in the EPPO A1 List) and its psyllid vector, Bactericera cockerelli (Hemiptera: Triozidae - EPPO A1 List) (Delgado-Luna et al., 2023).
- New pests and taxonomy
A new fungal species, Microstrobilinia castrans sp. nov. (Sclerotiniaceae) has recently been found infecting pollen cones of three spruce species (Picea abies, P. omorika and P. smithiana) in Germany, Italy, and Switzerland. Based on metabarcode sequences deposited in a database (GlobalFungi), M. castrans has also been detected in France. It is still unclear whether this new species originates from Europe or not, however, it would be surprising that this conspicuous fungus could have been overlooked over the last centuries. Affected cones show brown discolorations and deformations, and do not release pollen. Apothecia of the fungus then develop on the cones. For the moment, no serious damage has been reported, as only a few pollen cones per tree are affected (Beenken et al., 2023).
Sources
Beenken L, Stroheker S, Dubach V, Schlegel M, Queloz V, Gross A (2023) Microstrobilinia castrans, a new genus and species of the Sclerotiniaceae parasitizing pollen cones of Picea spp. Mycological Progress 22(2), 14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11557-023-01865-w
Bogacheva AV, Bukharova NV (2020) [Spring fungi of spruce-fir forests from the Botchinsky Nature Reserve (Khabarovsk Territory)]. Mikologiya i Fitopatologiya 54(3), 157-161 (in Russian).
Çıtır A, Akbilek Y, Ilbağı H (2021) First report of Plum pox virus on Tilia spp. in Turkey. New Disease Report 44, e12027. https://doi.org/10.1002/ndr2.12027
Delgado-Luna C, Cooper W, Villarreal-Quintanilla JA, Hernández Juárez A, Sanchez-Peña SR (2023) Physalis virginiana as a wild field host of Bactericera cockerelli (Hemiptera: Triozidae) and Liberibacter solanacearum. Plant Disease (early view). https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-02-23-0350-RE
Gallego D, Di Sora N, Molina N, Gonzalez-Rosa E, Mas H, Knížek MI (2022) First record of Xyleborus bispinatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) and evidence of stable populations in the Iberian Peninsula. Zootaxa 5174(2), 157-164.
Mohammed MS, Lahuf AA (2023) First report of cucumber vein yellowing virus in Iraq. New Disease Reports 47, e12183. https://doi.org/10.1002/ndr2.12183
Shchurov VI, Zamotajlov AS (2022) [First records of the emerald ash borer Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, 1888 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) in Krasnodar Territory]. Proceedings of 24th International Scientific Conference devoted to the 30th anniversary of the Republic of Ingushetia ‘The Biological Diversity of the Caucasus and South of Russia’ (ed. by Tochiev TY et al.) (Magas, RU, 2022-11-17/20), 558–565 (in Russian). https://www.elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=50269203
Rovesti L, Mane A (2021-05-02) Ficha para la declaración de plaga de la oruga del maíz, 5 pp (via personal communication with L Rovesti, FAO Consultant, 2023-07).
Sheller MA, Shilkina EA, Ibe AA, Razdorozhnaya TY, Sukhikh TV (2020) Phytopathogenic fungi in forest nurseries of Middle Siberia. iForest 13, 507-512. https://doi.org/10.3832/ifor3507-013
van Amsterdam S, Jenkins S, Clarkson J (2023) First report of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lactucae Race 1 causing lettuce wilt in Northern Ireland. Plant Disease (early view). https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-01-23-0196-PDN
Zeity M, Arab A, Salman O (2023) First record of the bronze bug, Thaumastocoris peregrinus Carpintero & Dellapé, (Hemiptera: Thaumastocoridae) in Syria. EPPO Bulletin 53 (early view), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1111/epp.12925
Zhao Y, Xiao M, Yan, C, Hu FC, Zhang S, Wang X, Fan HY (2023) First report of bronzing disease caused by Pantoea stewartii on jackfruit in China. Plant Disease (early view). https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-11-22-2740-PDN