The presence in Huelva of the quarantine pest
Scirtothrips aurantii Faure has been confirmed by the General Directorate of Agricultural and Livestock Production of the Government of Andalusia, raising alarms among citrus and berry producers in the province.
The insect was detected for the first time last October by the Official Agrofood and Agro-livestock Control Laboratory of Huelva in a sample taken as part of the surveys carried out in the framework of the Andalusian Plan for Citrus Phytosanitary Surveillance. After the analysis of the sample, its presence was initially verified on farms in Lepe and Cartaya. Later, it was confirmed to have spread to farms in Ayamonte, Bollullos Par del Condado, Gibraleón, Hinojos, Isla Cristina, Lucena del Puerto, Punta Umbría, San Bartolomé de la Torre, San Silvestre de Guzmán and Villanueva de los Castillejos.