| Legend |
|---|
| Justification for qualification based on EPPO PM 4 Standards |
| Justification for disqualification |
| Additional or non-conclusive information |
| Standard text |
NAME OF THE ORGANISM: Tetranychus urticae (TETRUR)
GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE PEST
Name as submitted in the project specification (if different):
Pest category:
Acari
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: Fruits (including hops) sector
If necessary, please list the species:
-
Is it justified that the pest is listed at a taxonomic rank below species level?
Not relevant
Conclusion:
- Null: Fruits (including hops) sector
Justification (if necessary):
-
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):
-
Conclusion:
Candidate
Justification (if necessary):
Data of the presence of this pest on the EU territory are available in CABI Crop Protection Compendium on Tetranychus urticae (two-spotted spider mite) (2021). The pest is reported to be present in Austria (1996), Belgium (1996), Bulgaria (1996), Croatia (2009), Cyprus (1996), Czech Republic (1996), Denmark (1996), Estonia (1996), Finland (1996), France (1996), Germany (2017), Greece (1996), Hungary (1996), Ireland (2003), Italy (1996), Latvia (1996), Lithuania (1996), Malta (1997), Netherlands (1996), Poland (1996), Romania (1996), Slovakia (2000), Slovenia (1996), Spain (1996), Sweden (1996).
HOST PLANT N°1: Ribes (1RIBG) for the Fruits (including hops) sector.
Origin of the listing:
Commission Implementing Directive (EU) 2014/98/EU and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072
Plants for planting:
Plants intended for planting
3 - Is the pest already listed in a PM4 standard on the concerned host plant?
Yes
Conclusion:
Evaluation continues
Justification (if necessary):
Listed in Standard PM 4-9 Certification scheme for Ribes. However, in the responses to the questionnaire DE, ES, FR, NL, PL and SI supported deregulation because of economic impact was considered acceptable, plants for planting was not considered as a significant pathway compared to others, and no feasible and effective measures were considered available. Evaluation continues and a full assessment is performed.
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:
Tetranychus urticae has a very wide host range. It includes many crops grown in glasshouses such as tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers and flowers such as chrysanthemums and orchids (CABI 2021). Two spotted spider mite can be a problem blackcurrant cultivations (Labuschagne & Wainwright, 1993; Łabanowska, 2002 ). The mites can also live on many non-crop hosts, which can provide a source of infestation (CABI 2021).
Tetranychus urticae has an overwintering or diapause form of the adult female that is initiated by short photoperiod, decreased temperature and unfavorable food supply. The overwintering females stop feeding and egg laying and leave their host plants to hibernate in cracks and crevices in protected places, such as the soil or glasshouse structures. They resume activity in the spring when they lay eggs on leaves. These mites also produce copious amounts of webbing (CABI, 2021)
Tetranychus urticae can be transported on plant material, but due to its large host-plant range, its ability to survive as overwintering female, its dispersal by active walking or by passive transport in the wind and on plants, tools and people (Zhang, 2003), plant material is not considered as its main pathway.
In the responses to the questionnaire, FR, NL, PL and SI considered that the pest was widespread, and that plants for planting was consequently not a significant pathway compared to others.
Tetranychus urticae has an overwintering or diapause form of the adult female that is initiated by short photoperiod, decreased temperature and unfavorable food supply. The overwintering females stop feeding and egg laying and leave their host plants to hibernate in cracks and crevices in protected places, such as the soil or glasshouse structures. They resume activity in the spring when they lay eggs on leaves. These mites also produce copious amounts of webbing (CABI, 2021)
Tetranychus urticae can be transported on plant material, but due to its large host-plant range, its ability to survive as overwintering female, its dispersal by active walking or by passive transport in the wind and on plants, tools and people (Zhang, 2003), plant material is not considered as its main pathway.
In the responses to the questionnaire, FR, NL, PL and SI considered that the pest was widespread, and that plants for planting was consequently not a significant pathway compared to others.
5 - Economic impact:
Are there documented reports of any economic impact on the host?
Yes
Justification:
Red spider mite can be a problem in blackcurrant cultivation, but no quantitative data are available.
Large mite populations damage leaves and decrease yield of cultivated blackcurrant plants. The size of populations varies depends on the cultivars of blackcurrant. On many plantations this pest can be controlled in springtime, before bloom or just after blossom, and in the summer, after harvesting by the use of acaricides (Łabanowska, 2002). The use of pesticides can negatively impact natural predators and result in an adverse effect (Raudonis et al., 2005). Chemical control has become less effective because of the mite’s resistance to pesticides and the difficulty of achieving full under-leaf cover with acaricides in the dense canopy of this crop, biological control seems to be an option (Labuschagne & Wainwright, 1993). The mite is favored by the warming climate (Parikka et al, 2016).
In the responses to the questionnaire, ES, FR and SI considered that the pest was not causing unacceptable economic impact on this host plant.
Large mite populations damage leaves and decrease yield of cultivated blackcurrant plants. The size of populations varies depends on the cultivars of blackcurrant. On many plantations this pest can be controlled in springtime, before bloom or just after blossom, and in the summer, after harvesting by the use of acaricides (Łabanowska, 2002). The use of pesticides can negatively impact natural predators and result in an adverse effect (Raudonis et al., 2005). Chemical control has become less effective because of the mite’s resistance to pesticides and the difficulty of achieving full under-leaf cover with acaricides in the dense canopy of this crop, biological control seems to be an option (Labuschagne & Wainwright, 1993). The mite is favored by the warming climate (Parikka et al, 2016).
In the responses to the questionnaire, ES, FR and SI considered that the pest was not causing unacceptable economic impact on this host plant.
What is the likely economic impact of the pest irrespective of its infestation source in the absence of phytosanitary measures? (= official measures)
Is the economic impact due to the presence of the pest on the named host plant for planting, acceptable to the propagation and end user sectors concerned?
Is there unacceptable economic impact caused to other hosts (or the same host with a different intended use) produced at the same place of production due to the transfer of the pest from the named host plant for planting?
Conclusion:
Justification:
6 - Are there feasible and effective measures available to prevent the presence of the pest on the plants for planting at an incidence above a certain threshold (including zero) to avoid an unacceptable economic impact as regards the relevant host plants?
Conclusion:
Justification:
In the responses to the questionnaire, ES, FR and NL considered that no feasible and effective measures were available. DE commented that 'a generally known pest that can be easily controlled by the operator should not be regulated as RNQP. Horizontal regulation in the marketing regulations should ensure that the consignments to be marketed/moved are “practically free from pests”'.
7- Is the quality of the data sufficient to recommend the pest to be listed as a RNQP?
Conclusion:
Justification:
CONCLUSION ON THE STATUS:
Disqualified: plants for planting is not a significant pathway
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:
- Łabanowska BH & Gajek D (1993) Control of the twospotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae Koch on black currant. Acta Horticulturae 352, 583-586.
- Labuschagne L & Wainwright H (1993) Biological control of red spider mite in commercial blackcurrant plantations. Acta Horticulturae 352, 563-568.
- Łabanowska BH (2002) Efficacy of Envidor 240 SC in the control of the twospotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae Koch) on the black currant plantations in Poland. Acta Horticulturae 585, 363-367.
- Parikka P, Tuovinen T & Lemmetty A (2016) Challenges for plant protection of berry crops in northern Europe. Acta Horticulturae 1117, 95-102.
- Raudonis L, Valiuškaitė A, Survilienė E & Duchovskienė L (2005) Effects of Spirodiclofen on the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae) in black currants. Sodininkystė ir Daržininkystė, 2005, Vol. 24, No. 2, 54-63