In August 2024, adult individuals of Scaphoideus titanus were detected for the first time in Germany on yellow sticky traps in two different vineyards (Vitis vinifera) in Baden-Württemberg. This leafhopper is the main vector of Grapevine flavescence dorée phytoplasma (FD). According to initial analyses, however, the flavescence dorée-causing phytoplasma could not be detected in the trapped leafhoppers. An area of 80 hectares of non-contiguous vineyards is declared as infested.
Cereal grains both for human consumption and animal feed are an essential component of global food systems. However, during production they are often targeted by various pest insects, including aphids. A survey was carried out from 2017 to 2021 in six cereal production sites in Tunisia to evaluate aphid diversity and identify natural enemies on Triticum turgidum subsp. durum (durum wheat), Hordeum vulgare (barley), Avena sativa (oat) and Triticum secale (triticale). Six aphid species belonging to four genera were recorded: Diuraphis noxia, Rhopalosiphum maidis, R. padi, Schizaphis graminum, Sitobion avenae and Sitobion fragariae. Among these, S. avenae and R. padi emerged as the most prevalent species across the majority of sites, infesting durum wheat, barley and triticale. Sc. graminum, R. maidis and D. noxia were less frequent, while S. fragariae was exclusively found on oat plants. Common aphid predators observed included Coccinella algerica, Hippodamia variegata and C. undecimpunctata, as well as syrphid flies such as Episyrphus balteatus and Sphaerophoria rueppellii. Lysiphlebus testaceipes was the sole parasitoid species detected, emerging exclusively from R. padi and R. maidis mummies. Furthermore, the study on the efficacy of L. testaceipes against R. maidis indicated that parasitism levels increased with the number of introduced parasitoid pairs. Aphid and natural enemy diversity were also evaluated.
This Standard describes the purpose and use of EPPO Diagnostic Standards. Definitions used in these Standards are given in Appendix 1. This Standard is based on ISPM 27 (IPPC, 2006).
Approved in 2006-09. Revised in 2010-09, 2014-09, 2016-11, 2018-09 and in 2024-09.
This Standard is designed to be used in conjunction with the EPPO Standards of series PM 7 on diagnostics.
Diagnostic tests have different performance characteristics (e.g. levels of analytical sensitivity and analytical specificity resulting in different risks of false-positive and false-negative results), speed and cost. These elements are taken into account by the customer and the laboratory when choosing a test or a combination of tests for the diagnosis of a pest in specific circumstances of use.
The reliability of a test depends on its performance characteristics, obtained from validation and verification studies. Information on how to perform validation and verification is provided in PM 7/98 Specific requirements for laboratories preparing accreditation for a plant pest diagnostic activity (EPPO, 2021). Validation data is not available for all tests that are currently widely used in plant pest diagnostic laboratories. Lack of validation data is, in particular, often the case for routine tests such as ELISA or morphological analyses. However, there is often a long period of experience of use of such tests and it is usually possible for the laboratory to qualify the reliability of such tests (e.g. based on the number of years of experience, the number of samples tested, the use of controls and participation in proficiency tests). It is nevertheless recognized that performance characteristics allow a better understanding of the reliability of the tests. There are cases where a combination of tests is used to increase the overall accuracy and confidence in the diagnosis (e.g. see Section 4).
It should be noted that the result of a test or a combination of tests also depends on the proficiency of the laboratory.
Critical cases:
The circumstances of use described in the latter three bullet points (in bold) are considered in this Standard as critical cases where additional confidence in the outcome of the diagnosis will be required (see Section 2.1). The detection of a pest in a consignment declared to have been submitted to a phytosanitary treatment is also considered to be a critical case (see also Section 5.3.2).
The EPPO Panel on Invasive Alien Plants would like to update some information presented in EPPO Standard PM 5/6 (1) EPPO Prioritization Process for Invasive Alien Plants (EPPO, 2012a).
In PM 5/6, the references to the EPPO Standard PM 3/67 Guidelines for the management of invasive alien plants or potentially invasive alien plants which are intended for import or have been intentionally imported should be deleted. The Standard was withdrawn in 2023.
The references to ISPM no. 11 (Pest Risk Analyses for Quarantine Pests including analysis of environmental risks and living modified organisms) should be changed to ISPM 11 Pest Risk Analyses for Quarantine Pests.
The text which states:
‘The guidelines on pest risk analysis of EPPO Standard PM 5/3 Decision-support scheme for quarantine pests should be followed for the performance of a PRA’.
should be replaced by.
‘The guidelines on pest risk analysis of EPPO Standard PM 5/3 Decision-support scheme for quarantine pests may be followed for the performance of a PRA or, for a simplified scheme, the EPPO Standard PM 5/5 Decision-support scheme for an Express Pest Risk Analysis (EPPO, 2012b), and the additional guidance can be used.’
The reference to EPPO Plant Quarantine Data Retrieval system (PQR) should be changed to EPPO Global Database: https://gd.eppo.int/. This resource should be used to cross-check the validity of species names cited in the Standard.