First report of Atherigona orientalis in France
Atherigona orientalis (Diptera: Muscidae - EPPO Alert List) is first reported from France. In October 2022, four larvae of Atherigona orientalis were collected on commercial peppers (Capsicum annuum) grown under tunnels in the town of Solliès-Toucas (Var department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region) during official surveillance targeting Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae – EPPO A1 List). Peppers were overripe and also found to be infested by larvae of diverse Diptera species. No further specimens were detected during the official survey in 2023.
In November 2023, A. orientalis was detected in the town of Clapiers (Hérault department, Occitanie region): four adults emerged from fruits of Passiflora caerulea collected in a private garden. Those fruits were also infested by Ceratitis capitata larvae.
The situation of Atherigona orientalis in France can be described as: Present, not widely distributed.
Sources
Mouttet R, Taddei A (2024) First record of Atherigona orientalis Schiner, 1868 (Diptera: Muscidae) in France. EPPO Bulletin 54(2), 230–235. https://doi.org/10.1111/epp.13022