VKM Report 2019: 17 Pest risk assessment of selected Epitrix species Opinion of the Panel on Plant Health of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment VKM Report 2019: 17 Report from the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM) 2019:17 Pest risk assessment of selected Epitrix species Opinion of the Panel on Plant Health of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment 16.12.2020 ISBN: 978-82-8259-333-5 ISSN: 2535-4019 Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM) Po 222 Skøyen N – 0213 Oslo Norway Phone: +47 21 62 28 00 Email: vkm.no vkm.no/english Cover photo: Epitrix pubescens (Udo Schmidt [CC BY-SA 2.0]) Suggested citation: VKM, Johan A. Stenberg, Daniel Flø, Lawrence Kirkendall, Paal Krokene; Beatrix Alsanius, Christer Magnusson, Mogens Nicolaisen, Iben M. Thomsen, Sandra A.I. Wright, Trond Rafoss (2019). Pest risk assessment of selected Epitrix species. Opinion of the Panel on Plant Health. VKM report 2019:17, ISBN: 978-82-8259-333-5, ISSN: 2535-4019. Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM), Oslo, Norway. VKM Report 2019: 17 Pest risk assessment of selected Epitrix species Authors of the opinion VKM has appointed a project group consisting of four VKM members to answer the request from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. Members of the project group that contributed to the drafting of the opinion are Johan A. Stenberg, Daniel Flø, Lawrence Kirkendall and Paal Krokene (in alphabetical order after chair of the project group): Professor Johan A. Stenberg – Chair of the project group and member of the Panel on Plant Health in VKM. Affiliation: 1) VKM; 2) Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Plant Protection Biology, P.O. Box 102, 23053 Alnarp, Sweden Professor Lawrence Kirkendall – Member of the project group and member of the Panel on Alien Organisms and Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in VKM. Affiliation: 1) VKM; 2) University of Bergen, Department of Biological Sciences, P.O. Box 7803, 5020 Bergen, Norway Professor Paal Krokene – Member of the project group and member of the Panel on Plant Health in VKM. Affiliation: 1) VKM; 2) Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Division of Biotechnology and Plant Health, P.O. Box 115, NO-1431 Ås, Norway Daniel Flø – Member of the project group and project leader in the VKM secretariat. Affiliation: VKM. The opinion has been assessed and approved by the Panel on Plant Health. Members of the Panel on Plant Health that contributed to the assessment and approval of the opinion are Beatrix Alsanius, Christer Magnusson, Mogens Nicolaisen, Iben M. Thomsen, Sandra A.I. Wright, and Trond Rafoss. Acknowledgment VKM thanks the referees Dr. Roel P.J. Potting (Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority) and Dr. Anthony Deczynski (Clemson University) for reviewing and commenting on the manuscript. VKM would also like to thank Direção Geral De Alimentação e Veterinária, Portugal for their valuable information on the distribution of Epitrix papa in Portugal. VKM Report 2019: 17 Competence of VKM experts Persons working for VKM, either as appointed members of the Committee or as external experts, do this by virtue of their scientific expertise, not as representatives for their employers or third party interests. The Civil Services Act instructions on legal competence apply for all work prepared by VKM. VKM Report 2019: 17 Table of contents Pest risk assessment of selected Epitrix species .................................................... 1 Pest risk assessment of selected Epitrix species ................................................................ 3 Authors of the opinion .................................................................................................... 3 Acknowledgment ............................................................................................................ 3 Competence of VKM experts ............................................................................................ 4 Table of contents .................................................................................................... 5 Summary ................................................................................................................ 8 Sammendrag på norsk ......................................................................................... 10 Abbreviations and glossary .................................................................................. 12 Background as provided by the Norwegian Food Safety Authority ...................... 14 Terms of reference as provided by the Norwegian Food Safety Authority ........... 15 Pest risk assessment ............................................................................................ 16 1 Introduction ................................................................................................. 16 1.1 Purpose and scope ............................................................................................... 16 1.2 Method and information collection ......................................................................... 16 1.3 Literature search strategy ..................................................................................... 16 1.4 Data collection ..................................................................................................... 16 1.5 Ratings of probabilities and uncertainties ............................................................... 17 2 Pest categorization ...................................................................................... 17 3 Pest taxonomy, biology, occurrence, hosts and regulatory status ............... 19 3.1 Pest identification, name and taxonomic position .................................................... 19 3.2 Taxonomic information ......................................................................................... 19 Identifying species of Epitrix....................................................................... 20 The taxonomic challenge ........................................................................... 20 3.3 Biological information ........................................................................................... 22 3.4 Host plant species ................................................................................................ 23 Host plant species of Epitrix cucumeris ........................................................ 24 Host plant species of Epitrix hirtipennis ....................................................... 24 Host plant species of Epitrix papa ............................................................... 25 3.5 Geographical distribution ...................................................................................... 25 Geographic distribution of Epitrix cucumeris ................................................ 25 Geographic distribution of Epitrix hirtipennis ................................................ 26 VKM Report 2019: 17 Geographic distribution of Epitrix papa ........................................................ 27 3.6 Occurrence of the pests in the PRA area ................................................................ 28 3.7 Regulatory status ................................................................................................. 28 4 Assessment of the probability of introduction and spread ........................... 30 4.1 Probability of entry of a pest ................................................................................. 30 Identification of pathways of entry .............................................................. 30 Probability of the pest being associated with potatoes at origin of shipment ... 33 Probability of survival during transport or storage ........................................ 34 Probability of pest surviving existing pest management procedures ............... 34 Probability of transfer to a suitable host ...................................................... 34 4.2 Probability of establishment .................................................................................. 34 Climatic suitability ..................................................................................... 35 Availability of suitable hosts, alternate hosts and vectors in the PRA area ....... 41 Conclusion on the probability of introduction and establishment and spread ... 44 5 Assessment of potential consequences ........................................................ 46 5.1 Direct pest effects ................................................................................................ 46 5.2 Indirect pest effects ............................................................................................. 46 5.3 Conclusion of the pest risk assessment stage .......................................................... 47 6 Pest risk reduction options ........................................................................... 49 6.1 Options for consignments ..................................................................................... 49 Monitoring ................................................................................................ 49 Preventive phytosanitary measures ............................................................. 50 Curative phytosanitary measures ................................................................ 50 Phytosanitary certificate ............................................................................. 50 6.2 Options preventing or reducing infestation