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Pest categorisation of Thrips palmi.
EFSA Journal. European Food Safety Authority
|July 7, 2020
Summary
Thrips palmi, a pest from Asia, poses a significant threat to EU agriculture, especially in greenhouses. It is a quarantine pest due to its potential to damage crops and transmit viruses.
Area of Science:
- Plant Health
- Entomology
- Pest Risk Analysis
Background:
- Thrips palmi (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is a pest listed in EU Directive 2000/29/EC.
- This species, native to southern Asia, has a global distribution in tropical and subtropical regions.
- It infests numerous host plants across 20 botanical families, with Cucurbitaceae, Solanaceae, and Orchidaceae being of primary concern.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a pest categorisation of Thrips palmi for the European Union.
- To assess its potential for establishment and impact within the EU.
- To determine its status as a Union quarantine pest or regulated non-quarantine pest (RNQP).
Main Methods:
- Review of existing data on Thrips palmi biology, distribution, hosts, and impacts.
- Assessment of climatic suitability for establishment in the EU.
- Evaluation against criteria for Union quarantine pests and RNQPs.
Main Results:
- Thrips palmi has been intercepted multiple times on plants within the EU.
- While outdoor establishment is limited to small areas, glasshouse cultivation offers favourable conditions.
- Past outbreaks have occurred in EU glasshouses and outdoors in Portugal.
- The species is a vector of tospoviruses and causes direct damage to plants.
- It meets criteria for a Union quarantine pest but not for an RNQP.
Conclusions:
- Thrips palmi represents a significant phytosanitary risk to the EU.
- Current and future interceptions necessitate stringent phytosanitary measures.
- The pest's potential impact on key crops like cucurbits, solanaceous plants, and ornamentals warrants its classification as a Union quarantine pest.
