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
During a survey conducted in September 2021 to detect viruses in Capsicum crops in Benin, the following viruses were detected by PCR: pepper mild mottle virus (Tobamovirus capsici – PMMoV), potato yellow mosaic virus (Begomovirus tuberosi – PYMV- EU Quarantine Pest), tomato spotted wilt virus (Orthotospovirus tomatomaculae- TSWV - EPPO A2 List). This is the first report of PYMV in Africa (Missihoun et al., 2025). Present, widely distributed.
Fusarium foetens (EPPO A2 List) was recorded for the first time in the Palestinian Territories in spring 2024 on coriander (Coriandrum sativum)(Alkowni et al., 2026). This is the first record of coriander as a host of F. foetens. Present.
Grapevine berry inner necrosis virus (Trichovirus necroacini, GINV – EU Quarantine pest) is recorded for the first time in Australia. GINV has been detected in grapevines (Vitis vinifera) and rootstocks across Australia’s eastern seaboard, which comprises of the coastal regions of Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland states (Plant Health Australia, 2026). Present, not widely distributed and under official control.
Platypus quercivorus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Platypodinae) was found during quarantine inspection in Hawaii (US). Chamorro et al. (2026) considered it unlikely to be established. Absent, intercepted only.
- Detailed records
In China, Megalurothrips usitatus (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) occurs on cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata) in Shandong in the northern part of the country (Tian et al., 2025). So far it was only known to occur in the southern part of China.
In India, ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma ziziphi'’ (EU Quarantine pest) subgroup 16Sr V-B is first reported causing a tree decline on sweet cherry (Prunus avium). Symptoms were observed in 2023–2024 in cherry orchards in Himachal Pradesh (Chauhan et al., 2025).
In China, Diaporthe vaccinii (EPPO A2 List) was known to occur in Shandong province on Vaccinium sp. (EPPO RS 2018/068). It is first reported from Jiangsu province where it has caused severe leaf spot disease on Magnolia figo in July and August 2025 (Xu et al., 2026). This is the first report of M. figo as a host of D. vaccinii. So far, D. vaccinii had only been reported on Vaccinium spp.
In Poland, the presence of brown spot needle blight caused by Lecanosticta acicola (EPPO A2 List) was observed in many sites along the coast of the Baltic Sea. It was found on Pinus mugo, as well as, to a lesser extent, on P. sylvestris and P. nigra during surveys conducted between 2023 and 2025. The disease has spread westwards since its first detection (Boroń et al., 2025).
In India, Liriomyza sativae (Diptera: Agromyzidae - EPPO A2 List)is first reported from Tamil Nadu state (Srinivasan et al., 2026).
In China, the wood wasp Sirex ermak (Hymenoptera: Siricidae – EPPO A2 List) occurs in Xinjiang (Ge et al., 2025).
- New host plants
New solanaceous host plants are recorded for Leucinodes orbonalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae, EPPO A1 List): Solanum violaceum, S. trilobatum, and S. lasiocarpum (Thirumalaisamy et al., 2026).
Rapeseed (Brassica napus) is first reported as a host of Meloidogyne graminicola (EPPO A2 List). Root knots were observed on B. napus plants growing in fields in Hubei province (China) and were found to be infested with M. graminicola in October 2024 (Yu et al., 2026).
Commelina communis (Commelinaceae) is first reported as a host of tomato brown rugose fruit virus (Tobamovirus fructirugosum, ToBRFV – EPPO A2 List). ToBRFV was detected on symptomatic C. communis plants, growing as weeds in a greenhouse with tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants that also tested positive for ToBRFV in Shandong province (China) in May 2024 (Wang et al., 2026). This is the first report of ToBRFV on a plant from the Commelinaceae family and the first on a monocotyledonous plant. C. communis is also grown as an ornamental plant.
Apple chlorotic leaf spot virus (Trichovirus mali, ACLSV – EU RNQP) is first reported infecting guava (Psidium guajava). It was detected in Himachal Pradesh (India) on seven guava trees showing leaf symptoms. Previously, ACLSV was only known from crops in the Rosaceae family.
Sources
Alkowni R, Jaradat N, Kmail R, Elsaid E, Alawneh A, Ibrahim IA, Ibrahim AS, Hajji A, Mohammad S, Gubran L, Hourani M (2026) First isolation of Fusarium foetens from coriander in Palestine and preliminary evaluation of essential oils for its control. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-44502-8
Boroń P, Bulanda K, Kaźmierczak M, Grad B, Majewska A, Lenart-Boroń A (2025) The extent of Lecanosticta acicola spread along the Polish baltic coastline. Forests 16(12), 1830.https://doi.org/10.3390/f16121830
Chamorro ML, Atkinson T, Matsunaga JN, Engasser EL, Franz N, Evenhuis NL (2026) An annotated catalog of the Curculionoidea of the Hawaiian archipelago, Johnston and Wake atolls, and the Phoenix islands (Kiribati). Bishop museum bulletins in entomology. 261 pp.
Chauhan A, Handa A, Brakta A, Kumar P, Gupta B, Daroch R, Thakur A (2025) Detection and molecular characterization of phytoplasma associated with cherry trees in Himachal Pradesh (India). Crop Protection 198, 107405.
Ge S, Gao T, Liu Y, Li J, Shi J, Ren L, Shi H (2025) A revision of the wood wasp genus Sirex Linnaeus, 1760 [1761](Hymenoptera: Siricoidea: Siricidae) in China. Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny 83, 391-413.
Missihoun AA, Fanou AA, Nanoukon CN, Agbo IR, Sedah P, Fays M, Desoignies N (2025) Surveys of virus diseases and molecular identification of viruses affecting pepper crops (Capsicum spp.) in southern Benin. Crop Protection 188, 106999.
Plant Health Australia (2026-02)
-Message from the CEO. Accessed at: https://www.planthealthaustralia.com.au/message-from-the-ceo-febuary-2026
Srinivasan A, Thiyagarajan E, Marimuthu M, Mookiah S, Ramasamy S, Kannan B, Ganiger PC (2026) Molecular and morphological evidence confirm the predominance of Liriomyza sativae (Diptera: Agromyzidae) in tropical lablab ecosystems of South India. International Journal of Tropical Insect Science 28, 1-5.
Tamang A, Devi NP, Rana S, Bhardwaj P, Kumar R, Hallan V (2026) First report of apple chlorotic leaf spot virus infecting guava (Psidium guajava) in India. New Disease Reports 53(2), e70118. https://doi.org/10.1002/ndr2.70118
Thirumalaisamy PP, Sivasankarreddy K, Joseph J, Pathrose B, Pradheep K, Suma A, Latha M, Venkatesan K (2026) Host expansion of eggplant shoot and fruit borer, Leucinodes orbonalis in Solanum spp. International Journal of Tropical Insect Science (early view).
Tian HP, Tian HX, Chen JC, Li FJ, Kang JJ, Li HJ, Gao JP, Lu GC, Gong YJ, Wei SJ (2025) Susceptibility of five thrips pests to spinetoram and the frequency of G275E target-site mutation in a major vegetable production region of China. Crop Protection 198, 107398.
Wang L, Chen J, Rao S, Li J, Cao Y (2026) First report of tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) infecting Commelina communis in China. Plant Disease (early view). https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-11-25-2319-PDN
Xu W, Ju Z, Liu J, Zhang N, Li X, Bao Y, Lin H, Chen Q, Ben A, Zhao R, Liu T (2026) First report of leaf spot caused by Diaporthe vaccinii on Michelia figo in China. Plant Disease (early view) https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-02-26-0246-PDN
Yu L, Liu X, Guo X, Peng D, Xiao X, Xiao Y, Wang G (2026) First report of Meloidogyne graminicola on rapeseed in Hubei Province of China. Plant Disease (early view) https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-10-25-2128-PDN