Plant Pest Identification Notifications to State Departments of Agriculture

Adopted March 21, 2008

Amended February 22, 2019

Introduction

Timely notification of new plant pest*, disease, or noxious weed identifications is critical for 

effective response planning, execution, and communications. Plant Protection and Quarantine’s

(PPQ) Plant Health Programs (PHP), Pest Detection & Emergency Programs (PDEP) staff is

responsible for communicating presumptive and confirmatory pest identifications to internal and 

external parties. PDEP staff receives its pest identification information from the PPQ, PHP, 

National Identification Services (NIS) staff. This communication protocol applies to samples 

that were forwarded to NIS-recognized authorities for confirmation because they were

considered potentially actionable suspect samples (PASS) by the submitters. The 

communication protocol is intended to assure timely transmission of pest identification 

notifications, either by e-mail or telephone, to internal and external parties who coordinate 

actions that may include a possible response.

Notification Considerations

Notifications occur upon a positive confirmation, negative determination, or inconclusive result

of pest identification. While NIS may use other officially recognized laboratories or expert 

identifiers to identify a pest, NIS will always be the direct link to PDEP for pest identification 

results. Internal or external labs or experts performing confirmation of potentially actionable 

suspect samples or specimens are to communicate results directly to only NIS and no other

entity.

The urgency and circulation of notifications may vary widely based upon the plant pest’s 

regulatory significance and history. Accordingly, there are two primary questions to be asked to 

determine the circulation list for notifications within PPQ and to outside cooperators: (1) is this 

a new or significant pest detection, and (2) if not, is there a management/eradication program

already underway in the United States? Additionally, negative determinations of suspect pests 

and/or the identification of non-quarantine pests also need to be communicated back to the State 

and submitter.

Limiting Conditions

When conditions allow, PDEP will notify parties of identification confirmations within the hour

if possible, and within 24 hours as a standard. PPQ wishes to strike a balance between notifying 

parties of all suspect samples (including potentially thousands of samples pending analysis by 

 * A pest is defined in ISPM 5: Glossary of Phytosanitary Terms, as “Any species, strain or biotype of plant, animal 

or pathogenic agent injurious to plants or plant products.” [FAO, 1990; revised FAO, 1995; IPPC, 1997].

* The Plant Protection Act defines a pest as “Any living stage (including active and dormant forms) of insects, mites, 

nematodes, slugs, snails, protozoa, or other invertebrate animals, bacteria, fungi, other parasitic plants or 

reproductive parts thereof; viruses; or any organisms similar to or allied with any of the foregoing; or any infectious 

agents or substances, which can directly or indirectly injure or cause disease or damage in or to any plants or parts 

thereof, or any processed, manufactured, or other products of plants.” [PPA, CFR Title 7 §340.1]
Plant Pest Identification Notifications to State Departments of Agriculture

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non-PPQ laboratories) to which it has been made aware, and notifying parties only of the most 

significant findings when confirmations are completed. 

It is important to clarify that there will be situations where there is not enough information about 

a suspect plant pest detection to confirm the identity of the pest. Making this determination may 

take some time, based upon the biology of a pest and the availability of relevant scientific 

expertise and literature. For example, many plant pathogens can only be identified through 

molecular techniques. It also can be difficult to identify some insect pests in larval or pupal life 

stages. There may be situations where so little is known about an unidentified plant pest that 

new diagnostic protocols must be developed and validated to accomplish the identification.

While we believe that this notification protocol will broadly serve to ensure timely and effective 

notification of identification confirmations, it may not be applicable in all circumstances. In the 

event that they are not applicable, the protocol can be used as a basis for determining how best to 

communicate internally and externally under the given circumstances.

Notification Protocol

For both new pests and established program pests, the guide on the following pages identifies 

standardized subject lines and the individual points-of-contact who must receive notification 

from PDEP.

Notifications of pest identifications and diagnostic results are sent from NIS to the PHP Board of 

Directors, the Phytosanitary Issues Management (PIM) Directors, and the PDEP staff who will 

forward the notifications. The NIS Urgents staff are copied to serve as a quality control check. 

Notifications from NIS are forwarded as in the tables that follow. 

It is the responsibility of those receiving the notifications to further forward the message to those

in their respective organization or agency that have a need to know, as well as to the submitting 

laboratory, identifier, or originator of the specimens or samples.

Certain pests, when first detected, may have potentially significant impacts on trade. 

Accordingly, final positive confirmation may be handled at very high managerial and 

administrative levels. Communication under these circumstances is held at extremely high 

confidence and further communication may not be allowed unless the recipient of the message is 

authorized to do so. 

Please note that the information contained in these notifications is confidential, for your 

information only, and should not be shared with or forwarded to those outside of the affected 

state until the State Plant Health Director (SPHD) and State Plant regulatory Official (SPRO) 

decide that circumstances allow the sharing of the information.
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TABLE 1: Subject Heading and Distribution for Pest Identification and Diagnostic Results

If the message is to 

communicate the 

status of a pest that 

is: 

Then send the message: And title the subject as: 

New to US

or

Not new to the US, 

but a significant 

detection in a new 

state

To: 

 Pest Evaluation & Response Team, PM

 National Operations Manager–New Pests, FO

 SPHD of affected state

 SPRO of affected state 

CC:

 PPQ Management Team

 PHP Board of Directors

 PIM Director & Asst. Directors, PM

 Associate Executive Director, S&T

 National Science Program Manager, S&T

 Director, Plant Epidemiology and Risk Analysis 

Lab (PERAL), S&T

 PPQ Intergovernmental Relations

 PPQ Assistant Deputy Administrator IPS

 PPQ Outreach & Communication

 LPA Public Affairs Director

 NPB President

 NPAG

 Director Supervising the NOM, FO

 Associate Executive Director for the State, FO

 NIS Domestic Diagnostic Coordinator, PM

CONFIRMED ID: x samples 

positive for genus species, 

common name (or 

abbreviation) from state (twoletter code) – New US/State 

Record

In body of the message, say: 

“Please forward to the 

appropriate 

laboratory/identifier, originator, 

and/or submitter of the 

sample/specimen.”

Not new to the U.S.

and a PPQ 

Domestic or 

Emergency Program 

Pest

To: 

 National Policy Manager, PM

 National Operations Manager, FO

 SPHD of affected state

 SPRO of affected state 

CC:

 Executive Director, S&T

 Associate Executive Director, S&T

 National Science Program Manager, S&T

 Director, Plant Epidemiology and Risk Analysis 

Lab (PERAL), S&T

 Director Supervising the NOM, FO

 Associate Executive Director for the State, FO

 PPQ Intergovernmental Relations

 NIS Domestic Diagnostic Coordinator, PM

CONFIRMED ID / 

CONFIRMED NEGATIVE / 

INCONCLUSIVE: x samples 

positive/negative/inconclusive 

for genus species, common 

name (or abbreviation) from 

state (two-letter code).

In body of the message, say: 

“Please forward to the 

appropriate 

laboratory/identifier, originator, 

and/or submitter of the 

sample/specimen.” 

Not new to the U.S., 

not a quarantine 

pest, and/or not a 

PPQ Domestic or 

Emergency Program 

Pest

To: 

 SPHD of affected state

 SPRO of affected state 

CC:

 Executive Director, S&T

 Associate Executive Director, S&T

CONFIRMED ID / 

CONFIRMED NEGATIVE / 

INCONCLUSIVE: x samples 

positive/negative/inconclusive 

for genus species, common 

name (or abbreviation) from 

state (two-letter code).
Plant Pest Identification Notifications to State Departments of Agriculture

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 National Science Program Manager, S&T

 Director, Plant Epidemiology and Risk Analysis 

Lab (PERAL), S&T

 Director Supervising the NOM, FO

 Associate Executive Director for the State, FO

 NIS Domestic Diagnostic Coordinator, PM

In body of the message, say: 

“Please forward to the 

appropriate 

laboratory/identifier, originator, 

and/or submitter of the 

sample/specimen.” 

Subject Line Examples

Subject: CONFIRMED ID: one sample positive for Xyleborus glabratus, Red bay ambrosia beetle, from 

Lincoln Parish, LA

Subject: CONFIRMED ID: one sample positive for Duponchelia fovealis (Crambidae) in PA - new state 

record

Subject: CONFIRMED NEGATIVE: six samples negative for Phytophthora ramorum from IN

Subject: INCONCLUSIVE: two samples inconclusive for HLB from LA

Subject: CONFIRMED ID: two samples positive for Chrysodeixis chalcites (Noctuidae) Golden-twin 

spot moth in samples from MI - new US record