New records of eriophyoid mites (Acari: Prostigmata: Eriophyoidea) from Saudi Arabia

Pest categorisation of Calepitrimerus baileyi

The EFSA Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of Bailey's rust mite, Calepitrimerus baileyi Keifer (Acariformes: Eriophyidae), following the commodity risk assessment of Malus domestica plants from Türkiye performed by EFSA, in which C. baileyi was identified as a pest of possible concern to the European Union. This mite is not listed in Annex II of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072. The eriophyid is known to occur in Africa, America, Asia, Europe (Greece and Serbia) and Oceania on Malus spp., which is the only confirmed host genus for C. baileyi. Plants for planting of Malus spp. are the main potential pathway for entry into the EU. However, plants for planting of the genus Malus Mill. are considered as high-risk plants (EU 2018/2019) and therefore prohibited from entering the EU unless granted a country-specific derogation. This is the case for the import of Malus spp. plants for planting from Serbia ((EU) 2020/1361 corrected by 2022/1309). Therefore, this derogation could provide a plausible entry pathway for C. baileyi into the EU. Climatic conditions and the ample availability of the host, Malus spp., in the EU are conducive for establishment, as proven by the occurrence of C. baileyi in Greece. However, the species is not reported as having an impact in Greece, despite reports of damage outside the EU. Measures to prevent further entry and spread of C. baileyi in the EU are available. C. baileyi satisfies all the criteria that are within the remit of EFSA to assess for it to be regarded as a potential Union quarantine pest. However, uncertainties about the distribution of C. baileyi within the EU and its impact on apples in the EU are considered key and affect the confidence of conclusions for this categorisation.

A new species of the genus Diptilomiopus Nalepa and a key to diptilomiopid species (Prostigmata; Eriophyoidea; Diptilomiopidae) associated with Moraceae plant family

The subfamily Diptilomiopinae Keifer and the genus Diptilomiopus Nalepa (Prostigmata; Eriophyoidea; Diptilomiopidae) are recorded for the first time from Saudi Arabia with the description and illustration of a new species, D. bahaensis sp. nov., collected from Ficus carica L. (Moraceae). Additionally, a key to diptilomiopid mite species reported from the plant family Moraceae is provided, along with their distribution and habitus to the host plants.

Arthropods on imported plant products: Volumes predict general trends while contextual details enhance predictive power

Agricultural biosecurity interventions are aimed at minimizing introductions of harmful non-native organisms to new areas via agricultural trade. To prioritize such interventions, historical data on interceptions have been used to elucidate which factors determine the likelihood that a particular import is carrying a harmful organism. Here we use an interception data set of arthropod contaminants recorded on plant imports arriving in South Africa from 2005 to 2019, comprising 13,566 samples inspected for arthropod contaminants, of which 4902 were positive for the presence of at least one arthropod. We tested 29 predictor variables that have previously been used to explain variation in rates of detection and three variables describing possible sources of additional variation and grouped these into six mutually exclusive "factor classes." We used boosted regression trees as a non-parametric stochastic machine-learning method to build models for each factor class and interactions between them. We explored the influence of these variables with data split either randomly or chronologically. While we identified some specific patterns that could be explained post-hoc by historical events, only inspected volumes were reliably correlated with detection of arthropod contaminants across the whole data set. However, inspected volumes could not predict future interceptions of arthropods, which instead relied on contextual factors such as country, crop or year of import. This suggests that, although certain factors may be important in certain circumstances or for particular crops or commodities, there is little general predictive power in the current data. Instead, an idiographic approach would be most beneficial in biosecurity to ascertain the details of why a particular pest arrived on a particular pathway and how it might move (and be stopped) in future.

Commodity risk assessment of Ficus carica plants from Israel

The European Commission requested the EFSA Panel on Plant Health to prepare and deliver risk assessments for commodities listed in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/2019 as 'High risk plants, plant products and other objects'. This Scientific Opinion covers the plant health risks posed by the following commodities: (i) dormant and free of leaves 1-year-old bare rooted plants and (ii) free of leaves 1-year-old liners of Ficus carica imported from Israel, taking into account the available scientific information, including the technical information provided by Israel. The relevance of any pest for this opinion was based on evidence following defined criteria. Four EU quarantine pests, Euwallacea fornicatus, Hypothenemus leprieuri, Scirtothrips dorsalis and Spodoptera frugiperda, and 11 EU non-regulated pests fulfilled all relevant criteria and were selected for further evaluation. For these pests, the risk mitigation measures proposed in the technical dossier from Israel were evaluated separately for bare rooted plants and for liners, taking into account the possible limiting factors. For these pests, an expert judgement was given on the likelihood of pest freedom taking into consideration the risk mitigation measures acting on the pest, including uncertainties associated with the assessment. The estimated degree of pest freedom varied among the pests evaluated. Aonidiella orientalis and Russellaspis pustulans were the most frequently expected pests on the imported bare rooted plants, and Scirtothrips dorsalis on liners. The Expert Knowledge Elicitation indicated, with 95% certainty, that between 9,585 and 10,000 bare rooted plants per 10,000 would be free of Aonidiella orientalis and Russellaspis pustulans and between 9,456 and 10,000 liners per 10,000 would be free of Scirtothrips dorsalis.

Phytophagous and predaceous mites associated with vegetable crops from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

This study was conducted to investigate phytophagous and predatory mites associated with vegetable plants in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Eight phytophagous and 10 predacious mites were collected from 14 species of vegetable crops covering five major production localities. Out of these 18 mite species, 13 species are new to the mite fauna of Saudi Arabia. In addition, the two species, Tenuipalpus punicae and Agistemus exsertus, are reported for the first time on vegetable crops in Saudi Arabia. For each mite species found, notes on host plant association and occurrence period are given. An illustrated key for the identification of the 18 mite species reported in this study is provided and this can be used to improve the IPM programs by applying the local natural predatory mites in controlling mite pests in Saudi Arabia.