Seasonal pests and diseases

19 Jul 2022

Help prevent these pests and disease from entering and being spread in the UK, we have included information on various pest threats below, which as professional operators you need to be aware of:

Edible crops

• Anthomonus eugenii, the pepper weevil is an economically damaging pest of Capsicum annum (sweet pepper) and Capsicum frutescens (chilli peppers) but will also damage other solanaceous hosts including Solanum melongena (aubergine). The import of produce from infested areas provides a potential pathway of introduction to the UK. Pepper weevil is notifiable, please report any findings.
• Pepper Vein Yellows viruses (PeVYVs) have been recorded in 20 countries across 5 continents. A scattered distribution like this is likely indicative that such viruses may have a broader distribution despite a lack of further reports. These viruses have been found in North America in the USA, in Africa (parts), in Asia, Australia, and in Europe in Greece, Italy, Spain and Turkey. Main hosts are Capsicum species, C. annum and C. frutescens, but Solanum nigrum, a common perennial in the wider UK environment, has also been recorded as infected. PeVYV is notifiable, report a pest or disease.

Ornamental plants

• Corythucha arcuata, the oak lace bug is native to North America, but has been in Europe since at least 2000. Initially reported in northern Italy it is now found in at least 11 countries in continental Europe. It is not known to be present in GB. It is a pest of Quercus (oak) but can also feed on a range of other broad-leaved trees including Acer (maple), Carpinus betulus (hornbeam), Corylus sp. (hazel), Fagus (beech), Prunus spp., Rosa, Rubus caesius, Sorbus (whitebeam), Tilia (lime) and Ulmus sp. (elm). If you find oak lace bug, please report a pest or disease.
• Citrus longhorn beetle (Anoplophora chinensis) is a serious invasive pest that is found in Southeast Asia, with outbreaks in Italy, Croatia, and Turkey. It can infest a very wide range of broadleaved trees and would be a major threat to horticulture and the wider environment if they became established. It is not known to be present in GB and is notifiable, report a pest or disease.