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
Citrus leaf blotch virus 2 (Citrivirus, CLBV-2) is a newly described virus, first reported in China in 2018 (EPPO RS 2020/184). It was first reported from Jeju Island (Republic of Korea) in July 2021 on symptomatic mandarin (Citrus reticulata) (Kwak & Kil, 2023). The other species in the genus Citrivirus, Citrus leaf blotch virus (CLBV) is a Regulated Non-Quarantine Pest for a number of EPPO member countries.
Fusarium wilt of banana caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Tropical race 4 (EPPO Alert list) is first reported from Comoros. Symptoms were observed on Cavendish banana plants in Grande Comoros (Ngazidja) in early 2023. Surveys will be conducted to assess the presence and impact of the pathogen in all three Comoros islands (Mmadi et al., 2023).
In Switzerland, tomato fruit blotch virus (Blunervirus solani, ToFBV) was first reported in a tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit production site in Ticino region (Blouin et al., 2023).
In Slovenia, tomato fruit blotch virus (Blunervirus solani, ToFBV) was first reported based on high throughput sequencing analysis of the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) virome (Rivarez et al., 2023).
Xylosandrus compactus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae – formerly EPPO Alert List) is reported for the first time from Mexico. In November 2021, it was found in coffee plantations in the municipality of Zoquitlán (state of Puebla). In 2022, it was also observed in Veracruz (municipality of Tezonapa) and Oaxaca (municipality of Santa María Chilchotla), close to the infested area in Puebla. The pest was mainly found on Robusta coffee plants (Coffea canephora) and to a lesser extent on Arabica coffee plants (C. arabica) (Equihua-Martínez et al., 2023).
- Detailed records
Dendroctonus frontalis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae – EPPO A1 List) is extending its range northwards in the USA. It was first recorded in 2021 in the north of New York state, and has been caught in traps in New Hampshire and Maine (Kanaskie et al., 2023).
In Brazil, Xylosandrus compactus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae – formerly EPPO Alert List) occurs in the states of Amazonas, Bahia, Espírito Santo, Rondônia and Tocantins. Its presence is also reported from Minas Gerais and Pará (Torrez et al., 2022).
Sources
Blouin AG, Dubuis N, Brodard J, Apothéloz-Perret-Gentil L, Altenbach D, Schumpp O (2023) Symptomatic, widespread, and inconspicuous: new detection of tomato fruit blotch virus. Phytopathologia Mediterranea 62(3), 349-354. https://doi.org/10.36253/phyto-14463
Equihua-Martínez A, Robledo-Martínez JD, Barrera JF (2023) The presence of Xylosandrus compactus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) in the Sierra Negra of Puebla, Veracruz and Oaxaca, Mexico. Florida Entomologist 106(3), 192-194. https://doi.org/10.1653/024.106.0307
Kanaskie CR, Schmeelk TC, Cancelliere JA, Garnas JR (2023) New records of Southern Pine Beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann; Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in New York, New Hampshire, and Maine, USA indicate Northward range expansion. The Coleopterists Bulletin 77(2), 248-251.
Kwak M, Kil EJ (2023) First report of citrus leaf blotch virus 2 in mandarin (Citrus reticulata) in Jeju Island, Korea. Plant Disease 107(5), 1639.
Mmadi M, Azali HA, Mostert D, Robène I, Viljoen A (2023) First report of Fusarium wilt of Cavendish bananas caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Tropical Race 4 in the Grande Comoros Island. Plant Disease (early view). https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-07-23-1288-PDN
Rivarez MP, Pecman A, Bačnik K, Maksimović O, Vučurović A, Seljak G, Mehle N, Gutiérrez-Aguirre I, Ravnikar M, Kutnjak D (2023) In-depth study of tomato and weed viromes reveals undiscovered plant virus diversity in an agroecosystem. Microbiome 11, 60. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-023-01500-6
Torrez AA, Imakawa AM, Barbosa ML, Souza LA, Sampaio PD (2022) [Traps efficiency in the capture of Xylosandrus compactus (Eichhoff, 1875)(Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) during the early development of Aniba rosaeodora Ducke]. Research Society and Development 11(1), e48911125186. http://dx.doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v11i1.25186 (in Portuguese).