Detection of Arthropod Pests in Imported Vegetative Planting Material During 2006–10

Quarantine examination of 7,842 exotic samples of vegetative planting material of various crops from 2006 to 2010 revealed infestation of insect and mites in 380 samples. These included seven species of mites viz., Aceria tulipae in Allium sativum from Kazakhstan and USA, Amphitetranychus viennensis in Pyrus communis from USA, Brevipalpus phoenicis and Lepidosaphes ulmi (on cuttings of Ficus carica from USA, Polyphagotarsonemus latus in Persea americana from Vietnam and Oligonychus peruvianus in P. americana from USA and also seven species of scale insects, Aonidiella orientalis in Vitis vinifera from Brazil, Aspidiotus nerii in cuttings of P. communis from USA, Chrysomphalus dictyospermi and Hemiberlesia lataniae in P. americana from USA, Coccus hesperidium in T. cacao from UK, Parasaissetia nigra in P. americana from Vietnam and Parlatoria blanchardi in Phoenix dactylifera from Egypt. All the infested samples were salvaged using suitable pesticide(s) dip treatment.