First report and eradication of Callidiellum villosulum in Germany
The NPPO of Germany recently informed the EPPO Secretariat of the first finding of Callidiellum villosulum (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae - brown fir long-horned beetle) on its territory. In February 2024, employees of a wholesaler for pet supplies located in Schleswig-Holstein discovered beetles in shelters for chinchillas (rodents) made of cypress wood. The wholesaler contacted the Plant Protection Service and the beetles present in the wood were identified as C. villosulum using molecular tests (DNA sequencing). As a precautionary measure, all infested wooden products were incinerated at the initiative of the wholesaler. The outbreak is therefore considered eradicated. An Express PRA was carried out and concluded that C. villosulum cannot establish in Germany but could present significant risks to the Southern part of the European Union and that phytosanitary measures in accordance with Art. 29 of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 had to be taken to prevent any further spread of this pest. Finally, it is noted that all wooden items recently found infested by C. villosulum in Poland (2019, cages in pet stores), Ireland (2022, shelters for guinea pig) and Germany (2024, shelters for chinchillas) originated from the same German supplier who had imported these commodities from China.
The pest status of Callidiellum villosulum in Germany is officially declared as: Absent, pest eradicated.
EPPO note: C. villosulum is native to South-Eastern China and is known to infest conifers in the families Taxodiaceae (Cunninghamia lanceolata, Cryptomeria japonica, Taiwania cryptomerioides), Cupressaceae (Chamaecyparis formosensis) and Pinaceae (Pinus taiwanensis). This insect has repeatedly been intercepted from different parts of the world (Australia, Canada, France, Japan, Ireland, Malta, Poland, USA) on wooden commodities imported from China (e.g. artificial Christmas trees with a wooden trunk, pet cages) (EPPO RS 2005/180, 2014/162, 2020/075). Interestingly, a live beetle was also found in an apartment in Reykjavík (Iceland) in March 2021, probably emerging from recently acquired furniture. Information on the biology of this insect and its potential impacts on conifer trees is lacking. A world distribution of C. villosulum is available from the EPPO Global Database: https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/CLLLVI/distribution
Sources
NPPO of Germany (2024-04).
Express PRA zu Callidiellum villosulum. JKI. https://pflanzengesundheit.julius-kuehn.de/dokumente/upload/Callidiellum-villosulum_exprPRA.pdf