Incursion of Lycorma delicatula in Belgium
The NPPO of Belgium has recently informed the EPPO Secretariat of the first finding of Lycorma delicatula (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae – EPPO A1 List) on its territory.
A single female adult was reported in October 2026 under the external hatch of an air conditioning system in a plane at Brussels airport (Halle-Vilvoorde municipality, Vlaams-Brabant province, Vlaams Gewest region) and subsequently caught. The identity of the pest was confirmed by morphological testing. The aeroplane came from Washington Dulles International Airport (Virginia, USA), a state where the insect is known to be present. The NPPO of Belgium assumes the pest was trapped in the aeroplane and survived the flight to Belgium. Inspections were conducted on host plants in the immediate vicinity of the finding and did not detect signs of L. delicatula. Awareness raising among airlines and airport staff is under way. The NPPO of Belgium consider this to be an isolated interception.
The pest status of Lycorma delicatula in Belgium is officially declared as: Absent, intercepted only, reinforced surveillance and awareness raising.
Sources
NPPO of Belgium (2026-10).