First report of Erasmoneura vulnerata in Germany
The North American grape leafhopper Erasmoneura vulnerata (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), a pest of Vitis sp., was first detected in Europe in Italy in 2004 and has since spread to Austria, Bulgaria, France, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, and Switzerland (EPPO RS 2021/084, RS 2021/174, RS 2025/001, RS 2026/035). In northern Italy, E. vulnerata has caused severe leaf symptoms in commercial vineyards.
A recent express pest risk assessment, published by the Julius Kühn-Institut, reports the first finding of E. vulnerata in Germany. Since 2024, E. vulnerata has been found in Karlsruhe (Baden-Württemberg), and in the towns of Wörth am Rhein and Germersheim (Germersheim district, Rheinland-Pfalz state). In Baden-Württemberg, it was found on Vitis sp. and Parthenocissus sp.
The risk assessment lists new hosts reported from the literature including deciduous winterberry (Ilex decidua) and horse chestnut (Aesculus sp.). These hosts have not been found to be infested by the pest in the EU. The risk assessment considers that E. vulnerata can establish outdoors in warmer regions of Germany and other EU member states, but not in cooler regions.
The risk assessment concludes that, although E. vulnerata can cause substantial damage and has high spread potential, its spread in the EU is already advanced and could not be sufficiently contained by phytosanitary measures. Therefore they state that E. vulnerata does not meet the requirements of Article 29 of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 for phytosanitary measures against an unregulated pest.
Sources
Julius-Kühn-Institut (JKI) (2026) Express-Risikoanalyse zu Erasmoneura vulnerata. Accessible at: https://pra.eppo.int/pra/1faf93b9-d444-44f4-9113-3887aada7f5e/