First report of Rhagoletis suavis in Germany
The NPPO of Germany recently informed the EPPO Secretariat of the first record of Rhagoletis suavis (Diptera: Tephritidae – EU Annexes) on its territory. This is also the first record of this North American fruit fly in the EPPO region. On 2013-08-12, R. suavis was found on walnut (Juglans sp.) in a private garden in Kleinmachnow (Brandenburg). No symptoms were observed. The pest was caught in yellow sticky traps. The pest was identified morphologically and the identification was verified by molecular methods (sequencing). The origin of this introduction is unclear. It is recalled that in 2012, fruit flies belonging to the genus Rhagoletis had been found in Kleinmachnow and Werder/Havel in Brandenburg. They were identified morphologically and it was assumed that they were Rhagoletis completa, but the identification was not verified by molecular methods. After the finding of R. suavis in 2013, there is now some doubt as to whether the morphological identification made in 2012 was correct. The possible effective phytosanitary measures are currently being evaluated.
The pest status of Rhagoletis suavis in Germany is officially declared as: Present, only in one area (in Brandenburg)
Sources
NPPO of Germany (2013-10).