Update on the situation of Scirtothrips aurantii in Portugal
In Portugal, Scirtothrips aurantii (Thysanoptera: Thripidae – EPPO A1 List) was first reported in 2022 in Algarve and Alentejo regions (EPPO RS 2023/036).
The NPPO of Portugal recently provided an update of the situation based on the surveys carried out in 2023 in Algarve. The presence of S. aurantii was detected and confirmed by analysis at the national reference laboratory, in 14 additional locations (mainly orchards, but also in private gardens and public sites) in 10 counties. Six of these counties had no previous record of the pest: Albufeira, Aljezur, Lagoa, Loulé, Portimão, São Brás de Alportel.
Official phytosanitary measures are applied and include treatments with plant protection products, restriction on the movement of plant material (except fruit and seeds) out of the infested area. Intensive monitoring is conducted in the buffer zones of 100 m around the infested areas.
The pest status of Scirtothrips aurantii in Portugal is officially declared as: Present, under eradication, only in some parts of the Member State concerned.
Sources
NPPO of Portugal (2023-12).