EFSA Journal (2021) 19 (11 - e06890)

EFSA Panel on Plant Health (PLH), Claude Bragard, Francesco Di Serio, Paolo Gonthier, Josep Anton Jaques Miret, Annemarie Fejer Justesen, Christer Sven Magnusson, Panagiotis Milonas, Juan A Navas-Cortes, Stephen Parnell, Roel Potting, Philippe Lucien Reignault, Hans-Hermann Thulke, Wopke van der Werf, Antonio Vicent Civera, Jonathan Yuen, Lucia Zappalà, Jean-Claude Gregoire, Chris Malumphy, Ewelina Czwienczek, Andrea Maiorano and Alan MacLeod (2021)
Pest categorisation of Leucinodes orbonalis
EFSA Journal 19 (11 - e06890)
Abstract: The EFSA Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of the eggplant fruit and shoot borer, Leucinodes orbonalis Guenée, (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), for the territory of the EU. L. orbonalis is a tropical and sub-tropical species native to Asia and Australia with India considered its centre of origin. Following taxonomic revision, literature reporting L. orbonalis from sub-Saharan Africa should be regarded as referring to members of a complex of other species of Leucinodes native to Africa and not as referring to L. orbonalis. L. orbonalis is not present in the EU and is not a regulated EU pest. L. orbonalis is a major pest of Solanum melongena (eggplant) in Asia where larvae feed within leaves, stems, shoots and fruits. Larvae can also feed on a range of other plants, mostly within Solanaceae although L. orbonalis is generally not reported as a pest of crops other than S. melongena. However, in recent years L. orbonalis has emerged as a pest of Solanum tuberosum in south-west India. In tropical areas there can be 10 generations per year if conditions are suitable. L. orbonalis has been intercepted 350 times in the EU from a range of Asian countries on a range of produce, mostly larvae in fruits of S. melongena. Biotic factors (host availability) and abiotic factors (climate suitability) suggest that some small areas of the EU could be suitable for establishment. Adult L. orbonalis can fly and the species could spread within the EU. The introduction of L. orbonalis into the EU would have an economic impact, most likely on S. melongena production, the magnitude of which is uncertain. Measures are available to prevent the entry of L. orbonalis into the EU. L. orbonalis satisfies the criteria that are within the remit of EFSA to assess for this species to be regarded as a potential Union quarantine pest.
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Full text of article
Database assignments for author(s): Claude Bragard, Francesco Di Serio, Paolo Gonthier, Panagiotis G. Milonas, Juan A. Navas-Cortes, Philippe Reignault, Wopke van der Werf, Jonathan Yuen, Lucia Zappala, Chris Malumphy, Alan MacLeod

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
review
quarantine treatments/regulations/aspects

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Leucinodes orbonalis	Eggplant (Solanum melongena)	India