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
Cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus (Crinivirus, CYSDV - EPPO A2 List) is first reported from India. It was detected during surveys conducted in 2021-2022 in Uttar Pradesh and Cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus (Crinivirus, CCYV) was also detected (Nagendran et al., 2023).
Eutetranychus orientalis (Acari: Tetranychidae – EPPO A2 List) is first reported from Burkina Faso. The mite was identified during surveys done in 2019-2020 on Carica papaya. During this survey, Tetranychus truncatus (Acari: Tetranychidae) was also reported for the first time in Burkina Faso and in Africa. T. truncatus is a polyphagous crop pest in Asia. In Burkina Faso, it was reported on new host plants including Allium cepa and Solanum macrocarpon (Drabo et al., 2023).
Megalurothrips usitatus (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) was first recorded in three bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) growing areas in Costa Rica in 2022 (Rodríguez-Arrieta et al., 2023).
Takahashia japonica (Hemiptera: Coccidae - string cottony scale) is first reported from Ukraine. A large population was observed in July 2022 on Carpinus orientalis in the Crimean Peninsula (Balaklava district) (Gavrilov-Zimin & Volkova, 2022).
In Indonesia, bacterial leaf spot on chilli pepper (Capsicum spp.) has occurred for some time but the causal agent had not been identified. Utami et al. (2023) conducted tests on diseased Capsicum in Yogyakarta (Java) in 2022 and identified the causal agent as Xanthomonas euvesicatoria pv. euvesicatoria (EPPO A2 List).
- Detailed records
In Sicilia (IT), Ceratocystis ficicola (EPPO Alert List) has been detected (using molecular methods) in samples collected in 2022 in the municipality of Noto from Ficus carica showing trunk necrosis (Crous et al., 2023).
In August 2023, Cydalima perspectalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae - formerly EPPO Alert List) was reported for the first time in Massachusetts (US). The pest was found in Cape Cod, Barnstable county (Massachusetts Introduced Pests Outreach Blog, 2023-08).
In Italy, Heterodera glycines (EPPO A2 List - soybean cyst nematode) was first found in 2000 in Lombardia (province of Pavia). Subsequently, it was found in 2018 in one soybean (Glycine max) field in the municipality of San Stino di Livenza (Veneto), and in 2020 in one soybean field in the municipality of Montereale Valcellina (Friuli Venezia Giulia) (Perin et al., 2021).
In India, Meloidogyne graminicola (EPPO Alert List) has been found in rice (Oryza sativa) in Uttarakhand. The nematode was detected during a survey conducted in 2019-2020 in an experimental farm located in the Kumaon hills (mid-Indian Himalayan region) (Singh et al., 2023).
- Absence
The NPPO of Argentina recently informed the EPPO Secretariat that Xanthomonas citri pv. aurantifolii (EPPO A1 List) no longer occurs on its territory. It was first recorded in the 1920s (as cancrosis B or B-type strains). In later studies, it has been shown that B-type strains have gradually been replaced (from the 1970s to 1990s) by the more aggressive A-type strains (Xanthomonas citri pv. citri) which were first found in Argentina in 1974. Since 1991, X. citri pv. aurantifolii has not been detected in the field, and therefore should be considered as absent from Argentina (NPPO of Argentina, 2023-08).
- Host plants
Austropuccinia psidii (formerly EPPO Alert List), the causal agent of myrtle rust can infect Myrtus communis. M. communis is the sole Myrtaceae species native to Europe and it is an important component of vegetation in Mediterranean regions (Paap et al., 2023).
In inoculation studies, Trichoderma afroharzianum (EPPO Alert List), causal agent of ear rot in maize, produced disease symptoms (discoloration of ear and spikelets, reduction of number of grain) on barley (Hordeum vulgare), and wheat (Triticum aestivum) (Pfordt et al., 2023).
- Epidemiology
Citrus yellow vein clearing virus (Potexvirus, CYVCV, EPPO Alert List) is transmitted from Persian lime (Citrus latifolia) to Eureka lemon (C. limon) by citrus aphids (Aphis spiraecola, A. gossypii, and A. aurantii) under controlled conditions. This is the first report of A. aurantii as vector of CYVCV (Maghsoudi et al., 2023).
Sources
Crous PW, Akulov A, Balashov S, Boers J, Braun U, Castillo J, Delgado MA, Denman S, Erhard A, Gusella G, Jurjević Ž, Kruse J, Malloch DW, Osieck ER, Polizzi G, Schumacher RK, Slootweg E, Starink-Willemse M, van Iperen AL, Verkley GJM, Groenewald JZ (2023) New and Interesting Fungi. 6. Fungal Systematics and Evolution 11, 109–156. https://doi/org/10.3114/fuse.2023.11.09
Drabo E, Waongo A, Traoré F, Sanon A, Auger P (2023) First discovery of Tetranychus truncatus in Africa and new records of spider mites (Prostigmata, Tetranychidae) in Burkina Faso. Acarologia 63(3), 969-977. https://doi.org/10.24349/5105-aj8l
Gavrilov-Zimin LA, Volkova MV (2022) Takahashia japonica (Homoptera: Coccinea), a new adventive species for eastern Europe. Zoosystematica Rossica 31(2), 332–335.
Maghsoudi R, Nassrollahnejad S, Aghajanzadeh S, Bani Hashemian SM (2023) Transmissibility of Citrus yellow vein clearing virus by three dominant citrus aphids. Iranian Journal of Plant Protection Science 54(1), 101-113. DOI:10.22059/IJPPS.2023.353042.1007016
Massachusetts Introduced Pests Outreach Blog (2023-08-30) Box tree moth found in Barnstable County. https://massnrc.org/pests/blog/?p=3254
Nagendran K, Kumari S, Pandey S, Karmakar P, Chaubey T, Kumar R, Vignesh S, Karthikeyan G, Behera TK (2023) Emergence of yellowing disease in cucurbitaceous vegetables caused by Crinivirus and Polerovirus in India. Virology 587, 109876. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.virol.2023.109876
NPPO of Argentina (2023-08).
Paap T, Santini A, Rodas CA, Granados GM, Pecori F, Wingfield MJ (2023) Myrtus communis in Europe threatened by the pandemic and South African strains of the myrtle rust pathogen Austropuccinia psidii (Sphaerophragmiaceae, Pucciniales). NeoBiota 84, 41-46. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.84.95823
Perin S, Governatori G, Braghin A (2021) Primo ritrovamento del nematode cisticolo della soia (Heterodera glycines) in Friuli Venezia Giulia. Notiziaro ERSA no. 1, 28-30. http://www.ersa.fvg.it/export/sites/ersa/aziende/in-formazione/notiziario/allegati/2021/1/8_NEMATODE.pdf
Pfordt A, Gaumann P, von Tiedemann A (2023) Pathogenicity of Trichoderma afroharzianum in cereal crops. Pathogens 12(7), 936. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12070936
Rodríguez-Arrieta JA, Chaves-Barrantes NF, Hernández-Fonseca JC, González-Herrera (2023) First report of common bean flower thrips Megalurothrips usitatus Bagnall in Costa Rica. Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems 26(2), #37. https://www.revista.ccba.uady.mx/ojs/index.php/TSA/article/view/4521/2009
Singh AK, Paschapur AU, Kushwaha AK, Mishra K, Kant L (2023) Detection of Meloidogyne graminicola (RRKN) in Kumaon region of the Indian Himalayas. Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences 93(7), 710-714. https://doi.org/10.56093/ijas.v93i7.135351
Utami D, Jayasanti NN, Meale SJ, Young AJ (2023) First report of Xanthomonas euvesicatoria pv. euvesicatoria causing bacterial leaf spot in chilli pepper (Capsicum sp.) in Indonesia. New Disease Reports 48, e12208. https://doi.org/10.1002/ndr2.12208