First report of Scirtothrips aurantii in Islas Baleares (ES) and update in Andalucía (ES)
In Spain, Scirtothrips aurantii (Thysanoptera: Thripidae – EPPO A1 List) was first reported in Andalucía (province of Huelva) in September 2020 (EPPO RS 2021/008, RS 2022/084) and in May 2024 in Alicante and Valencia provinces, in the Autonomous Region of Comunidad Valenciana (RS 2024/139).
At the end of September 2024, S. aurantii was detected for the first time in Islas Baleares. The pest was found in three adjacent citrus plots located in the municipalities of Sóller and Fornalutx on Mallorca Island. The identity of the pest was confirmed by the National Reference Laboratory. Phytosanitary treatments have been carried out in the affected plots, and intensive surveys (including trapping) are being carried out to delimitate the demarcated area.
In Andalucía, surveys were conducted in 2024 and further detected S. aurantii in citrus plots in the provinces of Córdoba (municipalities of Fuente Palmera and Hornachuelos) and Málaga (municipalities of Alhaurín de la Torre, Alhaurín el Grande, Coín, Estepona, Pizarra, Vélez–Málaga, Málaga).
The pest status of Scirtothrips aurantii in Spain is officially declared as: Present, only in some parts of the Member State concerned, under eradication.
Sources
NPPO of Spain (2024-10).