Official Pest Report

Official Pest Reports are provided by National Plant Protection Organizations within the NAPPO region. These Pest Reports are intended to comply with the International Plant Protection Convention's Standard on Pest Reporting, endorsed by the Interim Commission on Phytosanitary Measures in March 2002.

Rhagoletis cerasi, European Cherry Fruit Fly, Detected in Ontario

Country: Canada

Title: Rhagoletis cerasi, European Cherry Fruit Fly, Detected in Ontario

Contact:
Patricia McAllister, National Manager, Horticultural Section, Plant Health and Biosecurity Directorate, Canadian Food inspection Agency, Ottawa, Ontario. Telephone:  (613) 773-7166.

Report:

In February 2016, an amateur entomologist submitted a photograph of a non-indigenous Rhagoletis spp. to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). The photograph was taken in an urban park in Mississauga, Ontario in July 2015. In May 2016, the CFIA initiated a detection survey in the park and on June 27, 2016, the CFIA confirmed the detection of R. cerasi, the European cherry fruit fly, in association with invasive honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.) in this park. 

Rhagoletis cerasi is a regulated pest to Canada, and is previously unknown from North America. Its natural geographical range includes central and western Asia and most of continental Europe. In Europe, the principle hosts of R. cerasi are cherry, including sweet cherry (Prunus avium), sour cherry (P. cerasus), black cherry (P. serotina) and mahaleb cherry (P. mahaleb) and honeysuckle (Lonicera xylosteum, L. tartarica and L. alpigena). This species attacks the fruit of its host plants but no other plant parts.

R. cerasi is subject to official control in Canada. The CFIA is carrying out additional surveillance to delimit the distribution of this pest.

Additional information is available on the CFIA website at: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/plants/plant-pests-invasive-species/insects/european-cherry-fruit-fly/eng/1467981423932/1467981769931


 

Posted Date: July 11, 2016, 9 a.m.