SPDN Pest Alerts

Sudden Oak Death

Phytophthora ramorum

September 3, 2005 NEW Sudden Oak Death Disease Found In South Carolina Carolina Channel.com - Greenville,SC,USA Posted 9-3-05 Steve Jeffers with Clemson University said sudden oak death was found on a camellia from an undisclosed Lowcountry nursery. Southern ...

February 22, 2005 New trace-forwards in 2005. Find the APHIS PPQ press release at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/ispm/sod/updates/update022205.pdf Posted 2-28-05

January 22, 2005 New strain of Phytophthora ramorum: Third strain may be offspring of US, European types
A previously unknown strain of the tree-killing disease known as sudden oak death has been found in a nursery in Washington state

Further information on Sudden Oak Death, including fact sheets, last year's timeline, and more is available here.

Southern Wilt

Ralstonia solanacearum race 3 biovar 2

- To learn symptoms of the disease please visit this website: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/ep/ralstonia/
- See brief history of 2003 outbreak in U.S. at: http://extlab7.entnem.ufl.edu/PestAlert/tmm-0303.htm Ralstonia: On the Record
- To see the Action Plan for dealing with samples and suspect plants, please see the pdf file at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/ep/ralstonia/rasltoniaactionplanv4web.pdf.
- SPRO letter 10-4-04 (PDF)
- 10/11/04 - Monitoring and control of Ralstonia solanacearum in irrigation water - (162 KB PDF)
- 10/08/04 - Ralstonia solanacearum race 3 biovar 2 confirmed on geranium in Quincy, Florida
January 2, 2004 - Ralstonia solanacearum race 3 biovar 2 was detected in the US.
See USDA, APHIS-PPQ letter.
Pest Alert announcement http://extlab7.entnem.ufl.edu/PestAlert/tmm-0101.htm or link to http://www.safnow.org/public/ralstoniaresource.htm
If suspected geraniums come to your attention, prepare a secure sample and send it to a plant disease clinic in your state.

Poliaspis Cycad Scale (Poliaspis cycadis)	On May 2, 2007, the Poliaspis cycad scale, Poliaspis cycadis, previously reported from California and the District of Columbia, has been detected on a cycad (Dioon sp.) in Miami-Dade County Florida by Holly Glenn of the University of Florida. The Poliaspis cycad scale is an armored scale that resembles false oleander scale and Cycad Aulacaspis scale in the field. More details are available in the Florida Department of Agriculture-Division of Plant Industry pest alert at http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/pi/enpp/ento/poliapsis_cycadis.html
Chrysanthemum White Rust (Puccinia horiana)	On September 15, 2006, during a routine Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS), a Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) inspector detected Chrysanthemum White Rust (CWR) symptoms in seven potted Chrysanthemum plants out of a lot of 302 Chrysanthemums at a large national retailer in Pittsburgh. This detection was confirmed by Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ). Link to the NAPPO Pest Report.
Black Sigatoka (Mycosphaerella fijiensis)	Black Sigatoka confirmed in Puerto Rico Find more information in the May 2006 APS Plant Disease Notes. (Posted here 4-06.)
Gladiolus Rust Uromyces transversalis	Intercepted on cut flowers from Florida. April 2006. Link to the NAPPO Pest Alert: http://www.pestalert.org/oprDetail.cfm?oprID=198. See also the National Identification Service website, with description and images: http://nt.ars-grin.gov/taxadescriptions/factsheets/index.cfm?thisapp=Uromycestransversalis.
Sweetpotato Whitefly Bemisia tabaci Biotype 'Q'	^{Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (biotype ‘Q’): A potential new biotype for Florida’s vegetable and ornamental crops. (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae): In March 2005, Drs. Judy Brown, Tim Dennehy (University of Arizona) and Dr. Frank Byrne (University of California) independently identified the ‘Q’ strain of Bemisia tabaci on poinsettia plants some months ago that originated from a nursery in California. This is the first time this particular strain has been found in the United States. The Q-biotype is thought to have originated from the Mediterranean region and has been associated with whitefly control problems. This strain is known to have resistance to pyriproxyfen (Horowitz et al. 2003), buprofezin and reduced susceptibility to the neonicotinoid insecticides imidicloprid, acetamiprid and thimethoxam. More information can be found at} ^{http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/pi/enpp/ento/b.tabaci.html}^.
Ophiostoma fungus	November 17, 2005 An undescribed Ophiostoma fungus, very likely vectored by a recently-arrived Asian ambrosia beetle, is killing Persea borbonia of all size classes along the coast from Hilton Head, SC to Jacksonville, FL. Preliminary data indicate that tree mortality may be similar to that produced by Dutch elm disease. Along with the many questions we have about the biology, ecology, and management of the pathogen and vector(s) are questions about the impact of redbay mortality on other flora and fauna. http://pestalert.ifas.ufl.edu/jlf-1116.htm
Chilli Thrips Scirtothrips dorsalis	October 7, 2005 The *chilli thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis, was detected in Florida* on October 7, 2005. This pest has been moving around primarily in the ornamentals industry on roses, but it is very polyphagous and a threat to many crops. Link to the SPDN Chilli Thrips page. A FDACS-DPI pest alert is available at: http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/pi/enpp/ento/chillithrips.html . Dr. Lance Osborne also has a website at: http://mrec.ifas.ufl.edu/lso/thripslinks.htm .
Citrus Greening Liberobacter asiaticus	September 3, 2005 Citrus greening has been found in FL; this is the first find of the disease in the US. The disease is caused by the phloem-limited bacterium, Liberobacter asiaticus, and is vectored by the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama. http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050903/LOCAL/209030320/1078/news More information here.
Sirex Wood Wasp Sirex noctilio	August 2005 This wood wasp, Sirex noctilio could be a major problem for many of our southern forests. http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/ep/emerging_pests/sirexnoctilio.html. The sirex woodwasp is considered a secondary pest of trees in its native range. However, it is a major pest in exotic pine plantations in the Southern Hemisphere. Females carry a fungus, Amylostereum areolatum, that they deposit in trees when laying their eggs. This fungus and the mucus injected by the wasp rapidly weaken and kill host trees, and the developing larvae feed on the fungus. This pest is attracted to stressed trees that are often used to make solid wood packing material (SWPM). Since the life cycle can take a year or more, the insect is transported easily in pallets or other SWPM and not readily detected at a port.
Asian Soybean Rust Phakopsora pachyrhizi	2005 Asian soybean rust overwintered in Florida and found in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and South Carolina. More information, including the most up-to-date news here, at the SPDN Soybean Rust page. 2004 Asian soybean rust confirmed in nine states.
Natal Fruit Fly Ceratitis rosa	August 23 2004 Infested Scotch Bonnet Habaneros from the Netherlands found in Miami Port press release at http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/press/09022004.html and other info, incl. pictures at http://extlab7.entnem.ufl.edu/pestalert/natal_fruit_fly.htm
Pink Hibiscus Mealybug Maconellicoccus hirsutus	October 5, 2006 PHM detected in Louisiana Link to the LA Press Release. June 15, 2005 Download the NPDN Diagnostic SOP for pink hibiscus mealybug (2 MB PDF). August 13, 2004 Updated PowerPoint for pink hibiscus mealybug (PPT) August 4, 2004 FL Commissioner Bronson releases statement about pink hibiscus mealybug (PHM) shipment to LA PDF. For more information about the pink hibiscus mealybug, please visit http://www.mrec.ifas.ufl.edu/lso/pinkmealybug.htm