First report of Aleurocanthus spiniferus in Austria
The NPPO of Austria recently informed the EPPO Secretariat of the first official report of Aleurocanthus spiniferus (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae – EPPO A2 List) on its territory.
At the end of April 2025 during an official inspection in a nursery in the municipality of Gamlitz (Steiermark region), the presence of A. spiniferus on three citrus plants (Citrus meyerii x Citrus sinensis ‘Doppio Sanguigno’) was suspected in a storage room used for overwintering of plants. A sample was analysed in the national reference laboratory (AGES) and the identity of the pest was confirmed in early May 2025.
Official measures are being applied to eradicate the pest. They include the destruction of all plants of the symptomatic lot, the monitoring of the site to verify pest absence with yellow sticky traps, and the prevention of movement of the symptomless plants remaining in the site (28 potted Citrus (stocks from previous years) and 40 newly planted high stem Rosa plants) until further notice. The plants were sourced from another EU Member State in April 2024. However, a definitive link to the purchased plants could not be established, and the source of the infestation therefore remains unknown.
The pest status of Aleurocanthus spiniferus in Austria is officially declared as: Transient (present in one site, under closed conditions), under eradication.
Sources
NPPO of Austria (2025-05).