Pest risk assessment of Eotetranychus lewisi for the EU territory

Following the 2014 EFSA’s Panel on Plant Health scientific opinion on the pest categorisation of the spidermiteEotetranychus lewisi,the European Commission requested the Panel to perform a pest riskassessment and evaluate the risk reduction options. A stochastic model was used to assess entry,establishment and spread and related uncertainties. In the EU,E. lewisihas only been reported to occurin Portugal (Madeira). Entry pathways assessed were strawberry plants for planting from the USA,poinsettia and raspberry plants for planting, and orange and lemon fruits from third countries. Entry ismost likely via poinsettia. Under current EU phytosanitary requirements, there is around a one in tenchance thatE. lewisiwill establish outdoors over the next 10 years. Although unlikely, establishmentwould most likely occur in southern Europe where environmental conditions, temperature and hostdensity, are most suitable. IfE. lewisidid establish, pest spread is expected to be mainly human assisted,most likely the mite being transported long distances on plants for planting. Nevertheless, whileremaining a regulated pest, spread would be slow and most likely confined to one NUTS 2 area after10 years. Under a scenario with enhanced measures (pest free place of production) at origin, the Panel’sassessment indicate that it is extremely unlikely thatE. lewisiwould establish within 10 years hencespread is also extremely unlikely. The absence of trade of host plants from Madeira to other parts of theEU could explain whyE. lewisihas not spread to other EU Member States.E. lewisiis reported asreducing yield and quality of peaches and poinsettia and is regarded as a growing concern for strawberryand raspberry growers in the Americas. The Panel concludes that shouldE. lewisibe introduced in the EUsimilar impacts could be expected.