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
Erysiphe corylacearum, a new powdery mildew of hazelnuts, was first found in the Czech Republic (southern Moravia region) in July 2021 on common hazel (Corylus avellana) (Šafránková et al., 2023).
Erysiphe corylacearum is first reported from Bulgaria. It was observed in June 2020 on Corylus avellana grown in the region of Kavarna (north-eastern Black Sea coast of Bulgaria). In October 2021, it was also found in a hazelnut orchard in the region of Pazardzhik (central southern part of the country) (Boneva et al., 2023).
Ips plastographus (Coleoptera: Scolytinae, EPPO A1 List) is first reported from Mexico. It was trapped during a survey on bark and ambrosia beetles conducted in 2018-2019 in a pine-oak forest in the State of Puebla (Suárez-Hernández et al., 2023).
Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae – EPPO A2 List) is first reported from Vanuatu in June 2023 (IPPC, 2004).
The pest status of Spodoptera frugiperda in Vanuatu is officially declared as: Present: at low prevalence.
Tephritis luteipes (Diptera: Tephritidae, EU A1 Quarantine Pest) is a fly species that was previously only recorded on Artemisia thuscula in the Canary Islands. El Harym & Korneyev (2023) mention the first record of T. luteipes in Morocco where it was reared from Artemisia barrelieri.
- Detailed records
In Canada, Cydalima perspectalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae – formerly EPPO Alert List) was first reported in 2018 in Ontario. In August 2023, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed established populations of C. perspectalis in association with Buxus spp. (boxwood) in residential areas in Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.
The pest status of Cydalima perspectalis in Canada is officially declared as: Present, not widely distributed and under official control.
In China, the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne enterolobii (EPPO A2 List) is first reported from Shaanxi (Northern China). It was first observed in September 2022 causing damage in coriander (Coriandrum sativum) fields (Pan et al., 2024).
In the USA, Phyllachora maydis (EPPO Alert List) causing tar spot on maize was observed for the first time in Delaware in October 2023. Black, raised stromata were observed on leaves of commercially grown maize hybrids in Kent and Sussex counties. Maize plants had reached maturity and disease severity was low, with symptoms present on 1 to 10% of the plants. The identity of the fungus was confirmed by molecular tests (PCR, sequencing) (Henrickson et al., 2024).
- Host plants
Euplatypus parallelus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Platypodinae, EPPO Alert list) is first reported causing mortality of Indian rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia), a major timber species in India (Manohara et al., 2023).
In South Africa, Neocosmospora (Fusarium) euwallaceae and its vector Euwallacea fornicatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae - both EPPO A2 List) have been found in four pear (Pyrus communis) orchards. Inoculation tests confirmed that N. euwallaceae is pathogenic to pear trees. It was observed that E. fornicatus is able to establish breeding colonies on pear trees, but apparently at a low frequency and without causing symptoms of dieback (Engelbrecht et al., 2024).
Xiphinema americanum (EPPO A1 List) is first reported causing damage in potato (Solanum tuberosum) fields. Trials confirmed the ability of the nematode to reproduce in a number of potato varieties (Goraya et al., 2023).
In Yunnan province (China), watermelon silver mottle virus (WSMoV, Orthotospovirus citrullomaculosi -EPPO A1 List) was observed the first time on peanut (Arachis hypogaea) in July 2022. Affected plants were severely stunted. Further studies are needed to better understand the distribution of WSMoV and its impact on peanut crops (Hu et al., 2024).
- Epidemiology
Phyllocoptes arcani (Acari: Eriophyoidea) is confirmed as a vector of Emaravirus rosae (Rose rosette emaravirus, RRV- EPPO A1 List) (Druciarek et al., 2023).
- New pests and taxonomy
During quarantine inspections carried out at the Ningbo port (China) on plants of Acer palmatum imported from Japan, a new nematode species was found. Approximately 100 second-stage juveniles (J2) were extracted from 1 A. palmatum plant (out of 5 examined) with some soil and growing medium still attached to the roots. When dissecting the roots, males and females could be found. These specimens were similar to Meloidogyne mali, but morphological and molecular studies confirmed that they belong to a distinct and new species, called Meloidogyne paramali n. sp. Due an insufficient number of nematodes, Koch’s postulates could not be completed, but it is supposed that M. paramali is a pest of A. palmatum; the extent of damage that this species may cause remaining unknown for the moment (Gu et al., 2023).
Sources
Boneva DV, Bobev SG, Van Poucke K (2023) First report of powdery mildew caused by Erysiphe corylacearum on hazelnut in Bulgaria. Plant Disease 107(12), 4023. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-05-23-0840-PDN
Druciarek T, Lewandowski M, Tzanetakis I (2023) Identification of a second vector for rose rosette virus. Plant Disease 107(8), 2313-2315.
El Harym Y, Korneyev V (2023) New additions to the fauna of the superfamily Tephritoidea (Diptera) of Morocco. Zootaxa 5360(4), 487-514.
Engelbrecht K, Raubenheimer I, Paap T, Neethling E, Roets F (2024) Detection of Fusarium euwallaceae and its vector Euwallacea fornicatus on pear (Pyrus communis) and in deciduous fruit orchards in South Africa. Australasian Plant Disease Notes 19(1), 3 pp. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13314-023-00524-z
Goraya M, Yan G, Plaisance A, Handoo ZA (2023) Identification and reproduction of dagger nematode, Xiphinema americanum, in potato. Nematology 25(10), 1127-1139.
Gu J, Fang Y, Ma X, Shao B, Zhuo K (2023) Meloidogyne paramali n. sp. (Nematoda: Meloidogyninae) and first report of M. marylandi in maple and yacca tree from Japan. Journal of Nematology 55, e2023-1. https://doi.org/10.2478/jofnem-2022-0036
Henrickson M, Pollok J, Koehler A (2024) First report of Phyllachora maydis causing tar spot on corn in Delaware. Plant Disease (early view). https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-11-23-2332-PDN
Hu B, Xu Z, Wei Z, Huang Y, Guo C, Chen J, Sun Z (2024) Occurrence of Watermelon silver mottle virus in peanut in China. Plant Disease (early view). https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-06-23-1238-PDN
IPPC website. Official Pest Reports- Vanuatu (2024-01-17): Fall Army Worm (Spodoptera frugiperda). https://www.ippc.int/fr/countries/vanuatu/pestreports/2024/01/fall-army-worm-spodoptera-frugiperda/
Manohara TN, Balakrishna SM, Shetteppenavar VS (2023) Infestation of pinhole borer [Euplatypus parallelus (F.)] on Dalbergia latifolia Roxb. Plant Science Today 10(3), 75-78.
NAPPO Phytosanitary Alert System. Official Pest Reports. Canada (2024-01-05) Report of box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis) in Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, Canada (2023). https://www.pestalerts.org/nappo/official-pest-reports/1083/
Pan S, Wang Q, Wei P, Song Q, Liu C, Chen Z, Li Y (2024) First report of root-knot nematode Meloidogyne enterolobii infecting coriander in Shaanxi, Northern China. Plant Disease (early view) https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-11-23-2385-PDN
Šafránková I, Holkova L, Michutová M (2023) Erysiphe corylacearum as a new pathogen of hazelnut in the Czech Republic. Plant Disease (early view) https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-08-23-1654-PDN.
Suárez-Hernández HD, Infante F, Ortiz-Ceballos ÁI, Díaz-Fleischer F, López-Ortega M (2023) Effect of climatic factors on the diversity and abundance of Scolytinae and Platypodinae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in a pine-oak forest. Agro Productividad 16(3). https://doi.org/10.32854/agrop.v16i3.2466