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.
- Detailed records
In Japan, apple fruit crinkle viroid (AFCVd, EU A1 pest) was known to occur on apple in Iwate and Aomori Prefectures (Northern part of Hunshu). AFCVd was detected in fruits of persimmon (Diospyros kaki) from private gardens in Hyogo, Osaka, Kyoto, and Shiga Prefectures (southern part of Honshu) (Hataya, 2024).
In China, Xanthomonas fragariae (EPPO A2 List) is reported for the first time from the province of Hebei. Chinese strains induce severe cavity rot symptoms in strawberries, which are not observed in other countries. Pan-genomic analysis suggests that these strains correspond to a new subspecies of X. fragariae (Wei et al., 2024).
In Japan, in addition to Honshu and Kyushu, Xylotrechus pyrrhoderus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae – EPPO Alert List) also occurs in Shikoku (Ashihara, 1982; Yoshitomi et al., 2012).
- Interceptions
In Hungary, Cylas puncticollis (Coleoptera: Apionidae - African sweet potato weevil) was found in January 2024 in sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) tubers in a commercial chain store. Sweet potato tubers showed severe damage, as their surface and inner parts were affected. As the infested consignment originated from Spain, a notification has been sent to the Spanish NPPO, as this pest is not known to occur in this country. The pest status of Cylas puncticollis in Hungary is officially declared as: Absent, intercepted only (NPPO of Hungary, 2024-05).
Sources
Ashihara W (1982) [Seasonal life history of the grape tiger borer Xylotrechus pyrrhoderus]. Bulletin of the Fruit Tree Research Station Series E 4, 91-112 (in Japanese).
Hataya T (2024) Genetic diversity of apple fruit crinkle viroid populations in Japanese persimmons and the infectivity of a predominant sequence variant to tomato plants. European Journal of Plant Pathology 169(2), 273-285.
NPPO of Hungary (2024-05).
Wei F, Liang X, Shi JC, Luo JN, Qiu LJ, Li XX, Lu LJ, Wen YQ, Feng JY (2024) Pan-genomic analysis identifies the Chinese strain as a new subspecies of Xanthomonas fragariae. Plant Disease 108(1), 45-49.
Yoshitomi H, Matsuno S, Sakai M (2012) [List of the species of the order Coleoptera in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture, Shikoku, Japan]. In: Ishikawa K (ed) Checklist of the Wild Animals, Fungi, and Plants of Matsuyama City. Committee for Surveys of Natural Environment of Matsuyama City, 105-166 (in Japanese).