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.
- New records
The Indian cotton jassid, Amrasca biguttula (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) is first reported from Egypt in agricultural fields growing cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa), and okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) located in Kafr El Sheikh governorate (Northern Egypt). This is the first record of this leafhopper in North Africa (El-Hady & El-Hashash, 2025).
Amrasca biguttula (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) is first reported from the island of Martinique (France) in the garden of the Martinique entomologie association in Fort-de-France on cotton plants (Gossypium hirsutum) in January 2024. It is considered that it has been established for several years (Dumbardon-Martial & Pierre, 2025).
Apple stem grooving virus (Capillovirus mali, ASGV, EU RNQP) is reported for the first time in Azerbaijan. It was detected on symptomatic apple (Malus domestica) and pear (Pyrus communis) during surveys conducted in 2017-2019 (Mustafayev et al., 2025).
Grapevine yellow speckle viroid 1 (Apscaviroid alphaflavivitis- GYSVd-1), grapevine yellow speckle viroid 2 (Apscaviroid betaflavivitis - GYSVd-2) and hop stunt viroid (Hostuviroid impedihumuli, HSVd – EU RNQP) are first reported from Kazakhstan. They were detected from symptomatic grapevine (Vitis vinifera) in the Almaty region in July 2023 and June 2024 (Moisseyev et al., 2025).
Liriomyza sativae (Diptera: Agromyzidae - EPPO A2 List) is first reported from Dubai (United Arab Emirates). It was first observed in November 2021 in Dubai city, and again causing damage on pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) in October 2024 in fields in Al Barari (Firouzi, 2025).
Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae – EPPO A2 List), is reported for the first time in the Fiji Islands. The pest was first detected in April 2025 in Uciwai (Nadi District, Western Division) and later in the surrounding areas of the Nadi District on maize (Zea mays). Containment and official response measures have been implemented (IPPC, 2025).
The pest status of Spodoptera frugiperda in Fiji is officially declared as: Present: at low prevalence, under official control.
- Detailed records
In China, lettuce chlorosis virus (Crinivirus lactucachlorosi, LCV – formerly EPPO Alert List) was first recorded on Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis) in Baoding (Hebei Province) in November 2021. This is the first record in the Hebei province, and the first record on cabbage worldwide (Li et al., 2025).
In Germany, outbreaks of the root knot nematode Meloidogyne fallax (EPPO A2 List) have occurred in the past (EPPO RS 2011/109) and have been eradicated. The NPPO of Germany recently informed the EPPO Secretariat that the pest status has been determined in the framework of exports.
The pest status of Meloidogyne fallax in Germany is officially declared as: Present, transient, not widely distributed and under official control.
In the USA, Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum (EPPO A2 list) is first reported from North Carolina. It was reported to cause wilting of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and aubergine (Solanum melongena) in a 1-ha field in July 2023. The origin of the infection is unknown, but the identified phylotype is of Asian origin and had already been detected in Florida and Louisiana (Magar et al., 2025).
In the USA, Pantoea ananatis is first reported in Louisiana causing leaf blight in rice (Oryza sativa). It was detected in July 2023 by PCR on symptomatic rice in research fields in Rayne city (Bruno et al., 2025).
In Australia tomato brown rugose fruit virus (Tobamovirus fructirugosum, ToBRFV – EPPO A2 List) was first reported in August 2024 in South Australia (EPPO RS 2024/172), and in January 2025 in Victoria (RS 2025/086). On 29 May 2025 the Australian state and territory governments, and affected industry agreed that it was not technically feasible to eradicate ToBRFV from Australia. A long-term management strategy on how to manage the impacts of ToBRFV is under development (NPPO of Australia, 2025).
In the USA, watermelon crinkle leaf-associated virus 1(Coguvirus citrulli, WCLaV-1 – EPPO Alert List) and watermelon crinkle leaf-associated virus 2 (Coguvirus henanense, WCLaV-2 – EPPO Alert List) are first reported from Arizona. They were detected in 2023 by RT-PCR on watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), in different farms in Yuma County (Murcia Bermudez et al., 2025).
- New host plants
In China, Fusarium nirenbergiae was identified as the causative agent of potato tuber rot on potato (Solanum tuberosum) in indoor storage facilities in October 2022 in Sichuan province. Infected tubers had shrinkage, rot and brown flesh (Li et al., 2025).
Sources
Bruno J, Barphagha I, Ontoy J, Dalla Lana F, Ham JH (2025) First report of Pantoea ananatis causing bacterial leaf and panicle blight of rice in Louisiana, USA. Plant Disease 109(4), 932 https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-08-24-1731-PDN
Dumbardon-Martial E, Pierre C (2025) The invasive leafhopper Amrasca biguttula (Ishida, 1913) in our garden: first report in Martinique (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae). Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France 130 (2),160-162. doi : 10.32475/bsef_2347
El-Hady RM, El-Hashash AE (2025) A taxonomic study of Amrasca biguttula (Ishida, 1913) (Cicadellidae, Typhlocybinae) in Egypt. Acta Entomology and Zoology 6(1), 25-29. DOI: 10.33545/27080013.2025.v6.i1a.186
Firouzi E (2025) First recorded discovery of the invasive vegetable leafminer (Liriomyza sativae) in Dubai, UAE: implications for agriculture and ecosystem health. ALL Bioscience 1(1), 10-26.
IPPC website. Official Pest Reports- Fiji (2025-05-23): fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) incursion into Fiji Islands. https://www.ippc.int/en/countries/fiji/pestreports/2025/05/fall-armyworm-spodoptera-frugiperda-incursion-into-fiji-islands/
Li L, Wen L, Zhu T, Ren M (2025) First report of Fusarium nirenbergiae causing rot of potato in China. Plant Disease 109(3), 721. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-11-24-2413-PDN
Li Y, Liang Y, Zhang C (2025) First report of lettuce chlorosis virus infecting Chinese cabbage in China. Plant Disease (early view). ttps://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-03-25-0643-PDN
Magar P, Huerta AI, Cellier G, Louws F, Adhikari T (2025) First report of Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum phylotype I sequevar 14 causing bacterial wilt on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and eggplant (Solanum melongena) in North Carolina, USA. Plant Disease 109(5), 1167 https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-11-24-2377-PDN
Moisseyev R, Kostyukova VS, Pozharskiy AS, Mendybayeva A, Gritsenko D (2025) First report of grapevine yellow speckle viroids and hop stunt viroid in Vitis vinifera in Kazakhstan. Plant Disease (early view) https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-04-25-0798-PDN
Murcia Bermudez JM, Porchas MA, Gonzalez-Bello DA, Soto-Robles R, Poudel B (2025) First report of watermelon crinkle leaf-associated virus 1 (WCLaV-1) and (WCLaV-2) infecting Citrullus lanatus in Arizona, USA. Plant Disease (early view) https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-10-24-2187-PDN
Mustafayev E, Mustafayeva H, Fuchs M (2025) First report of apple stem grooving virus in apple and pear trees in Azerbaijan. Plant Disease (early view) https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-02-25-0359-PDN
NPPO of Australia (2025-05). Tomato brown rugose fruit virus https://www.outbreak.gov.au/current-outbreaks/tomato-brown-rugose-fruit-virus#toc_0
NPPO of Germany (2025-06).