Commodity risk assessment of bonsai plants from China consisting of Pinus parviflora grafted on Pinus thunbergii

et al. 2022

EFS2

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The EFSA Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of Dendrolimus superans Butler (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae), the larch caterpillar, for the EU territory. D. superans is a major pest of conifer forests in Japan, northeast China and non‐European Russia. However, reports of damage are to conifer species not grown in EU forestry. Larix gmelinii and Pinus pumila are regarded as major hosts. Eggs are laid on host needles and developing larvae feed on host foliage. Larvae overwinter in the soil. In its native range, D. superans usually takes one or two years to develop. In principle, host plants for planting and plant products, such as cut branches and wood with bark, could provide pathways into the EU. However, prohibitions on the import of Abies, Cedrus, Larix , Picea, Pinus and Tsuga from areas where D. superans occurs closes such pathways. Nevertheless, a derogation for specific dwarfed Pinus plants from Japan exists. Climates similar to those in some of its existing range occur in the EU. Norway spruce ( Picea abies ) is a known host in Japan although reports of any impact are lacking. Experiments on the related species D. sibiricus indicated that larvae were able to develop on forestry conifer species occurring in the EU, but which are found outside the native range of D. sibiricus . Were D. superans to be introduced into the EU, impacts on P. abies are possible and it is conceivable that D. superans could expand its host range, as seems possible with D. sibiricus . However, this remains uncertain. Other hosts are grown in the EU as ornamentals or amenity trees. D. superans satisfies all the criteria that are within the remit of EFSA to assess for it to be regarded as a potential Union quarantine pest. Some uncertainty exists over the magnitude of potential environmental and economic impacts.

Section: Pest Categorisationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Pest Categorisationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Pest categorisation of Dendrolimus superans

Bragard¹,

Baptista²,

et al. 2022

EFS2

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“…Matsucoccus massonianae is a pest which emerges from Annex 1C to the terms of reference (ToR) as a pest identified as potentially associated with a high‐risk plant commodity, in this case artificially dwarfed Pinus parviflora grafted onto Pinus thunbergii from China (EFSA PLH Panel, 2022 ) and is to be subject to pest categorisation to determine whether it fulfils the criteria of being a potential Union quarantine pest for the area of the EU excluding Ceuta, Melilla and the outermost regions of Member States referred to in Article 355(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), other than Madeira and the Azores. Conclusions from pest categorisations inform European Commission decision‐making as to the appropriateness of categorised pests for potential inclusion in the lists of pests of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/ 2072.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This pest categorisation was initiated following the commodity risk assessment of artificially dwarfed plants from China consisting of Pinus parviflora grafted on Pinus thunbergii performed by EFSA (EFSA PLH Panel, 2022 ), in which Matsucoccus massonianae was identified as a relevant non‐regulated EU pest which could potentially enter the EU on artificially dwarfed plants.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pest categorisation of Matsucoccus massonianae

Bragard¹,

Baptista²,

et al. 2022

EFS2

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The EFSA Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of Matsucoccus massonianae (Hemiptera: Matsucoccidae), the Massonian pine bast scale, for the EU territory. M. massonianae occurs in western China and has been reported as a pest of Pinus massoniana (Chinese red pine) and P. thunbergii (Japanese black pine). These hosts occur in the EU as ornamental/amenity trees. Other scales in the Matsucoccus genus feed on a variety of Pinus species and the host range of M. massonianae could be wider than is currently recorded. There is one generation per year. All stages occur on the branches and stems of hosts with developing nymphs and adult females feeding under the bark on the phloem vessels of the host. Symptoms include the yellowing/browning of host needles, early needle drop, desiccation of shoots and bark necrosis. The most serious infestations occur in hosts aged 8–25 years old and there can be some host mortality. In principle, host plants for planting and plant products such as cut branches and wood with bark could provide entry pathways into the EU. However, prohibitions on the import of Pinus from non‐European third countries close these pathways. In China, M. massonianae occurs in regions with temperate humid conditions and hot summers. These conditions are also found in parts of southern EU. Were M. massonianae to establish in the EU, it is conceivable that it could expand its host range; however, this remains uncertain. M. massonianae satisfies all the criteria that are within the remit of EFSA to assess for it to be regarded as a potential Union quarantine pest. Some uncertainty exists over the magnitude of potential impacts.

Pest categorisation of Dendrolimus spectabilis

Bragard¹,

Baptista²,

et al. 2022

EFS2

Self Cite

The EFSA Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of Dendrolimus spectabilis (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae), a moth, also known as the Japanese pine caterpillar, for the European Union (EU). D. spectabilis is native to China, Japan and Korea. Its larvae primarily feed on the needles of Pinus densiflora and P. thunbergii and can also feed on P. strobus, P. rigida, P. taeda and P. tabuliformis. The pest can have one or two generations per year; winter is mostly spent as fifth instar larvae in the soil. Adults emerge in July and August and females lay egg masses of 200–300 eggs on coniferous host needles. Natural enemies are described as significant factors of population density changes in Japan and the Republic of Korea. The pest can be detected visually, and there are morphological keys as well as molecular markers allowing identification. D. spectabilis could enter the EU, either as eggs, larvae or pupae in the foliage of plants for planting or cut branches, as larvae on wood with bark or as overwintering larvae in the litter of potted plants. However, Annex VI of Regulation 2019/2072 prohibits the introduction of D. spectabilis hosts from countries and areas where the pest occurs. D. spectabilis occurs in climatic zones that are found in the EU, and the fact that it attacks the North American P. strobus, P. taeda and P. rigida in its Asian native area suggests a potential to shift to local conifer species in the EU territory. There is uncertainty regarding the magnitude of economic and environmental impact of D. spectabilis on conifer species commonly occurring in the EU. Notwithstanding this uncertainty, D. spectabilis satisfies all the criteria that are within the remit of EFSA to assess for it to be regarded as a potential Union quarantine pest.