NAME OF THE ORGANISM: Opogona sacchari (OPOGSC)
GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE PEST
Name as submitted in the project specification (if different to the preferred name):
Pest category:
Insecta
1- Identity of the pest/Level of taxonomic listing:
Is the organism clearly a single taxonomic entity and can it be adequately distinguished from other entities of the same rank?
Yes
Is the pest defined at the species level or lower?:
Yes
Can listing of the pest at a taxonomic level higher than species be supported by scientific reasons or can species be identified within the taxonomic rank which are the (main) pests of concern?
- Not relevant: Vegetable propagating and planting material (other than seeds) sector
Is it justified that the pest is listed at a taxonomic rank below species level?
Not relevant
Conclusion:
- Candidate: Vegetable propagating and planting material (other than seeds) sector
Justification (if necessary):
Remark:
- fruit sector: O. sacchari has a wide host range with species in many different plant families. Musa (banana) and Ananas comosus (pine apple) crops are within the endangered area but are grown on a very limited scale in the PRA area with the exception of Madeira and Azores where the pest is already present. Apart from these host plants, impacts are only foreseen on ornamentals.
- ornamental sector: The list of ornamental hosts includes species from the families and genera of Cactaceae, Arecaceae (Palmae), Yucca, Dracaena, Beaucarnea, Pachira, Ficus, and various other plant species (mainly with “fleshy” stems) like Strelitzia, Bougainvillea, Sansevieria, Musa, Philodendron, Begonia, Dahlia, etc. (Van der Gaag et al., 2013). Although Capsicum annuum and/or Solanum melongena, which can also be marketed as ornamentals, have been suspected as hosts, no original sources were found reporting these species as natural host plants. Therefore, they were not included as hosts (Van der Gaag et al., 2013). Regulating 'all ornamental plants' would appear to be excessive, because most individual plant species are not known as host plants. It is suggested to regulate those ornamentals on which at least two interceptions have been made (and notified in Europhyt) at the genus level plus Musa. Plants of several genera of the Arecaceae (Palmae) family have been intercepted twice or more (Areca = Dypsis lutescens, Cycas, Howea, Ravenea, Washingtonia) and, to simplify matters, it is proposed to include this family as a whole. This results in the following list of host plants: Arecaceae (Palmae), Beaucarnea, Bougainvillea, Crassula, Crinum, Dracaena, Ficus, Musa, Pachira, Sansevieria and Yucca.
- fruit sector: O. sacchari has a wide host range with species in many different plant families. Musa (banana) and Ananas comosus (pine apple) crops are within the endangered area but are grown on a very limited scale in the PRA area with the exception of Madeira and Azores where the pest is already present. Apart from these host plants, impacts are only foreseen on ornamentals.
- ornamental sector: The list of ornamental hosts includes species from the families and genera of Cactaceae, Arecaceae (Palmae), Yucca, Dracaena, Beaucarnea, Pachira, Ficus, and various other plant species (mainly with “fleshy” stems) like Strelitzia, Bougainvillea, Sansevieria, Musa, Philodendron, Begonia, Dahlia, etc. (Van der Gaag et al., 2013). Although Capsicum annuum and/or Solanum melongena, which can also be marketed as ornamentals, have been suspected as hosts, no original sources were found reporting these species as natural host plants. Therefore, they were not included as hosts (Van der Gaag et al., 2013). Regulating 'all ornamental plants' would appear to be excessive, because most individual plant species are not known as host plants. It is suggested to regulate those ornamentals on which at least two interceptions have been made (and notified in Europhyt) at the genus level plus Musa. Plants of several genera of the Arecaceae (Palmae) family have been intercepted twice or more (Areca = Dypsis lutescens, Cycas, Howea, Ravenea, Washingtonia) and, to simplify matters, it is proposed to include this family as a whole. This results in the following list of host plants: Arecaceae (Palmae), Beaucarnea, Bougainvillea, Crassula, Crinum, Dracaena, Ficus, Musa, Pachira, Sansevieria and Yucca.
2 – Status in the EU:
Is this pest already a quarantine pest for the whole EU?
No
Presence in the EU:
Yes
List of countries (EPPO Global Database):
Germany (2005); Italy (1992); Netherlands (2015); Poland (1992); Portugal (2008); Portugal/Azores (2005); Portugal/Madeira (2008); Spain (1996); Spain/Islas Canárias (1994)
Conclusion:
candidate
Justification (if necessary):
Data of the presence of this pest on the EU territory are available in EPPO Global Database (https://gd.eppo.int/). This pest is a candidate for the RNQP status according to the IIA2AWG
HOST PLANT N°1: All plants () for the Vegetable propagating and planting material (other than seeds) sector.
Origin of the listing:
IIA2AWG
Plants for planting:
Plants intended for planting, other than seeds
3 - Is the pest already listed in a PM4 standard on the concerned host plant?
No
Conclusion:
Evaluation continues
4 - Are the listed plants for planting the main* pathway for the "pest/host/intended use" combination? (*: significant compared to others):
No
Conclusion:
Not candidate
Justification:
The moth Opogona sacchari has a wide host range and is mainly known as a pest of tropical and subtropical plants like banana, pineapple and various ornamentals from (sub)tropical origin. However for vegetable species covered by EU directive 2008/72/EU, none are hosts according to a Dutch PRA prepared in 2013 (van der Gaag et al., 2013). In recent scientific literature (2013-2017), no information was found on the presence of Opogona sacchari on Capsicum annuum and Solanum melongena either. For this reason, it is concluded that no species in this vegetable sector are known to be host plants. Plants for planting of the vegetable sector are not considered to be a significant pathway.
CONCLUSION ON THE STATUS:
Disqualified: no species in the vegetable sector are known to be host plants.
8 - Tolerance level:
Is there a need to change the Tolerance level:
Yes
Proposed Tolerance levels:
Delisting.
9 - Risk management measures:
Is there a need to change the Risk management measure:
Yes
Proposed Risk management measure:
Delisting.
REFERENCES:
- EU COM (2016) Recommendation of the Working Group on the Annexes of the Council Directive 2000/29/EC – Section II – Listing of Harmful Organisms as regards the future listing of Opogona sacchari (Bojer);
- van der Gaag DJ, van der Straten M, Ramel J-M, Baufeld P & Schrader G (2013) Pest Risk Analysis for Opogona sacchari. Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, Utrecht, the Netherlands. Version 1,0.