[DRAFT FOR STAKEHOLDER COMMENT BY 10TH SEPTEMBER 2025 ]

Toumeyella parvicornis is a scale insect pest of pine that is thought to originate in North America. In 2005 it was detected in the Turks and Caicos Islands on an endemic pine species, Pinus caribaea var. bahamensi, and in 2009 in Puerto Rico on another endemic pine, P. caribaea var. hondurensis. In 2014, T. parvicornis was detected in Europe for the first time in Naples, Italy and neighbouring municipalities where it was infesting stone pine, Pinus pinea. In 2018, the pest was detected in Rome where stone pines are an iconic part of the urban environment. In 2021, T. parvicornis was confirmed as present in France, in St. Tropez and it has subsequently been found in a wider area close to St. Tropez. In 2023, T. parvicornis was reported from Qerret on the coast of Albania, and this finding was reported to EPPO in August 2024. Toumeyella parvicornis has been recorded on a range of Pinus species including Scots pine, Pinus sylvestris, lodgepole pine, Pinus contorta and Corsican pine, Pinus nigra. The lifecycle is linked to temperature. T. parvicornis is reported to have one generation per year in Colorado and Nebraska, two in Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina, four generations in southern Georgia and up to five generations per year on the Caribbean islands. 

In North America, the most common impacts of the pest are reduced growth resulting from the feeding plus sooty moulds which can lead to the death of branches or trees. Heavy infestations can kill trees. Young trees are the most susceptible and Christmas trees can suffer dieback or branch deformities. 

However, it is not considered to present a considerable threat to natural pine forests in its native range. 

A summary of the main findings of the EPPO PRA report and the Irish Express PRA and their significance to GB are given in the attached document.