Open AccessPest categorisation of Pseudopityophthorus minutissimus and P. pruinosus
Author(s) -
Bragard Claude,
DehnenSchmutz Katharina,
Di Serio Francesco,
Gonthier Paolo,
Jacques MarieAgnès,
Jaques Miret Josep Anton,
Fejer Justesen Annemarie,
MacLeod Alan,
Magnusson Christer Sven,
NavasCortes Juan A,
Parnell Stephen,
Potting Roel,
Reignault Philippe Lucien,
Thulke HansHermann,
Van der Werf Wopke,
Vicent Civera Antonio,
Yuen Jonathan,
Zappalà Lucia,
Grégoire JeanClaude,
Kertész Virág,
Milonas Panagiotis
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
efsa journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.076
H-Index - 97
ISSN - 1831-4732
DOI - 10.2903/j.efsa.2019.5513
Subject(s) - biology , pest analysis , quarantine , curculionidae , botany , bark beetle , ecology
The Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of Pseudopityophthorus minutissimus and Pseudopityophthorus pruinosus , two well‐defined insect species in the family Curculionidae, subfamily Scolytinae (Insecta: Coleoptera). They can be identified using taxonomic keys. P. minutissimus is present in parts of Canada and the USA , and P. pruinosus is present in parts of the USA , Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico. The main host plants of the two species are Quercus spp., but they also attack several other genera. The two species mostly colonise weakened or dead branches but can also attack the stems. They are mostly secondary pests but they vector the oak wilt fungus, Bretziella fagacearum , which causes heavy damage in American Quercus spp. populations. The fungus is mainly transmitted by the young adults during their maturation feeding on twigs, leaf petioles and young acorn stems. The beetles are polygamous and have two generations per year in most of their range. The main pathways are wood, bark, plants for planting, cut branches, chips and wood waste. These pathways are fully or partly regulated for the genera Quercus , Castanea and Prunus . However, the pathways are not regulated for the following genera: Carpinus , Fagus , Hamamelis , Alnus . P. minutissimus and P. pruinosus meet all the criteria assessed by EFSA for consideration as potential Union quarantine pest. The criteria for considering P. minutissimus and P. pruinosus as potential Union regulated non‐quarantine pests are not met since neither species are known to be present in the EU .