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
Eggplant mottled dwarf virus (Alphanucleorhabdovirus melongenae, EMDV) is first reported from Hungary. It was identified on cucumber plants (Cucumis sativus) showing severe leaf crinkling, vein yellowing and necrosis in a greenhouse in Ács (Komárom-Esztergom County) in September 2025 (Palkovics et al., 2026). EMDV was also first identified by HTS analysis and confirmed by RT-PCR in symptomatic Capsicum annuum by Demián et al. (2026), together with bell pepper alphaendornavirus (Alphaendornavirus capsici, BPEV) and pepper cryptic virus 2 (Deltapartitivirus duocapsici, PCV2). Present, not widely distributed.
Hercinothrips dimidiatus (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is reported for the first time in the USA. In January 2026, eight adult females were recorded on Aloe arborescens plants in San Diego, California. In February 2026, a further 56 adult females and 24 larvae were collected in Santa Barbara County (California) on A. dawei, A. arborescens, A. munchii and A. vera (Forthman, 2026). The identity of the pest was confirmed by morphological tests. Present, not widely distributed.
Neopestalotiopsis rosae is reported for the first time in the Philippines. Since 2022 this fungus has been causing leaf spot on strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) at high incidence in different municipalities in Benguet province (Piñon Biscocho et al., 2026). Present, not widely distributed.
Sirococcus tsugae (formerly EPPO Alert List) was first reported in Germany in 2014 on two Cedrus atlantica trees in Niedersachsen (EPPO RS 2015/076) before being declared eradicated in 2023 (RS 2023/031). In March 2026, S. tsugae was detected on 50 C. atlantica trees in a forest in North Rhine-Westphalia showing yellow-brown needles, fallen needles and shoot dieback. A decision on phytosanitary measures is pending (NPPO of Germany, 2026).
The pest status of Sirococcus tsugae in Germany is officially declared as: Present, only in some parts of the Member State concerned.
- Detailed records
In Mexico Acidovorax citrulli (syn. Paracidovorax citrulli, EPPO A1 List) is causing leaf blight on cucumber (Cucumis sativus) seedlings in Sinaloa (Osuna-Garcia et al., 2026). Before this report, the bacterium was only recorded on watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) in Mexico.
Bactrocera tryoni (Diptera: Tephritidae – EPPO A1 List) has previously been reported and eradicated in Western Australia on ten occasions since 1989. In March 2026, B. tryoni was reported in Como and South Perth (Perth, Australia). Official measures are applied to eradicate the pest (Government of Western Australia, 2026).
In Iraq, Bactrocera zonata (Diptera: Tephritidae – EPPO A2 List) is now more prevalent in stone fruits (apricot and peach) production in Najaf region than Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae – EPPO A2 List) (Abu Ragheef et al., 2026).
In China, the pinewood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (EPPO A2 List) is reported for the first time in Xizhang (Tibet) (Li et al., 2026).
Euwallacea fornicatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae, EPPO A2 List as part of Euwallacea fornicatus sensu lato) was detected on castor bean (Ricinus communis) in Brazil. Surveys were conducted in 46 municipalities in 10 Brazilian states from April 2023 to September 2024 (Soares et al., 2026). E. fornicatus was detected in 28 municipalities from five Brazilian states (Minais Gerais, Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, São Paulo). The EPPO Secretariat had no previous record for Rio Grande do Sul.
In Brazil, the root knot nematode Meloidogyne enterolobii (EPPO A2 List) is reported as an emerging species in commercial soybean (Glycine max) fields in central and south Brazil (Bahia, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul) (de Assis dos Santaos Diniz et al., 2026).
In France, Pochazia shantungensis (Hemiptera: Ricaniidae – EPPO Alert List) was first recorded in 2018 in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, in Occitanie region in 2022, in Corse in 2023 and in Alsace, Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Rhône-Alpes in 2025 (EPPO RS 2021/129, RS 2022/001, RS 2023/011, RS 2024/168, RS 2025/007, RS 2025/028, RS 2025/239). Following the recent EPPO PRA on P. shantungensis and the absence of any significant impact in France, the NPPO of France has removed P. shantungensis from the national list of temporary quarantine pests (NPPO of France, 2026-04).
- Absence
The NPPO of France informed the EPPO Secretariat that grapevine red blotch virus (Grablovirus vitis, GRBV – EPPO A1 List) does not occur on its territory. Surveys have been conducted by INRAE and the Institut Français de la Vigne et du Vin (IFV) using HTS. Since 2016, 300 samples of grapevine (Vitis vinifera) from the main wine-producing regions (Alsace, Bourgogne, Chablis, Champagne, South of France). GRBV was not detected (NPPO of France, 2026-05).
The pest status of grapevine red blotch virus in France is officially declared as: Absent, confirmed by survey.
- Eradication
In Switzerland the fungus Austropuccinia psidii (EPPO Alert List) was first found in May 2024 on imported bonsais plants in garden centres (EPPO RS 2025/041). After confirmation of the finding, all plants of the same lot were immediately removed from sale and destroyed. Since then, no further plants with symptoms have been found. The outbreak is therefore considered eradicated.
The pest status of Austropuccinia psidii in Switzerland is officially declared as: Absent, pest eradicated (NPPO of Switzerland, 2026-05).
In Italy, the outbreak of the fungus Geosmithia morbida (EPPO A2 List) found in 2022 on two Juglans spp. plants in an old walnut plantation for wood production in the municipality of Reggello (province of Firenze, Toscana region) (EPPO RS 2022/154) is considered eradicated. The entire walnut plantation was felled and surveys in recent years found no infected plants.
The pest status of Geosmithia morbida in Italy is officially declared as: Present, only in some parts of the Member State concerned (NPPO of Italy, 2026-03).
- New host plants
Prodiplosis longifila (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae - EPPO A1 List) was detected for the first time on Ruscus aculeatus and Cocculus laurifolius grown for production of ornamental cut foliage in open-fields and greenhouses Cundinamarca in Colombia (Naranjo-Serrato et al., 2026).
Sources
Abu Ragheef AH, Mohamed FJ, Ali AH, Abbas SA (2026) population density and infestation rate of the mediterranean fly, Ceratitis capitata and the peach fruit fly, Bactrocera zonata in stone fruit orchards in the Najaf region, Iraq. Arab Journal of Plant Protection 44(1), 18-23. https://doi.org/10.22268/AJPP-001366 (abst.)
de Assis dos Santaos Diniz F, Mizubuti ESG, Bellé C, dos Santos PS, Santiago TR (2026) The changing landscape of root‐knot nematodes in Brazilian soybean fields: shifting prevalence of Meloidogyne arenaria, M. incognita and M. javanica and the occurrence of an emerging species, M. enterolobii. Plant Pathology 75(2), e70142. https://doi.org/10.1111/ppa.70142
Demián E, Sáray R, Almási A, Salánki K (2026) High-Throughput Sequencing reveals previously undetected viruses and mixed infections in pepper (Capsicum annuum) in Hungary. Viruses 18(4), 481. https://doi.org/10.3390/v18040481
Forthman M (2026) First record of Hercinothrips dimidiatus Hood, 1937 (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), in the United States and its pest status on Aloe L. agriRxiv 20260188938 https://doi.org/10.31220/agriRxiv.2026.00424 [Preprint, not peer-reviewed]
Government of Western Australia (2026) Queensland fruit fly https://www.dpird.wa.gov.au/businesses/pests-weeds-and-diseases/animal-pests-diseases/pest-insects/queensland-fruit-fly/
Li S, Li X, Feng Y, Ding X, Ye J, Pei Y (2026) Population genetic differentiation and runs of homozygosity analysis of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus in Southwest China. Genes 17(4), 443 https://doi.org/10.3390/genes17040443
Ministère de l'agriculture et de l'alimentation (2026) Arrêté du 1er avril 2026 modifiant l'annexe de l'arrêté du 11 mars 2022 portant établissement des listes d'organismes nuisibles au titre du 5° de l'article L. 251-3 du code rural et de la pêche maritime. https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/id/LEGIARTI000053819564/2026-04-13
Naranjo-Serrato AN, Cardenas-Urrego WF, Villamil-Martha HJ, Pardo-Ramirez LM, Ramirez-Gil JG (2026) Evidence-based monitoring of Prodiplosis longifila in foliage crops: damage, economic impact, trapping tools, and population dynamics. Neotropical Entomology 55(1), 31 https://doi.org/10.1007/s13744-026-01379-6
NPPO of France (2026-04, 2026-05).
NPPO of Germany (2026-04).
NPPO of Italy (2026-03).
NPPO of Switzerland (2026-05).
Osuna-Garcia LA, Cruz-Lachica I, Marquez-Zequera I, Martinez-Gallardo JA, Tovar-Pedraza JM, Ramos-Antonio C, Garcia-Estrada RS (2026) First report of Paracidovorax citrulli as the causal agent of bacterial leaf blight in cucumber seedlings in Mexico. Plant Disease 110(1), 221. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-06-25-1309-PDN
Piñon Biscocho J, Lee MJ, Calica MD, Lumancas Mandap JA, Butalid JW, Pedroche N, Latina RA, Sumabat Dacones L (2026) First report of Neopestalotiopsis rosae causing leaf spot on strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) in Benguet, Philippines. Plant disease (early view) https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-01-26-0148-PDN
Palkovics L, Petróczy M, Pécsi Z, Szathmáry E (2026) First report of eggplant mottled dwarf virus in Cucumis sativus from Hungary. Plant Disease (early view) https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-01-26-0183-PDN
Soares NS, Duarte LS, Araújo AS, Rainho HL, Hickmann F, Aurélio MS, Silveira-Neto S, Zucchi RA, Savaris M (2026) A close relationship: Euwallacea fornicatus (Eichhoff, 1868) haplotype H22 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) and Ricinus communis L. (Euphorbiaceae) in Brazil. Entomological Communications 8, ec08008. https://doi.org/10.37486/2675-1305.ec08008