Maria Navajas

Trichomes are a first line of defense of plants against herbivorous arthropods, but they can also act as a barrier against natural enemies hampering biological control programmes. Despite the abundance of trichome types on tomato plants, many herbivorous arthropods can still evade these defenses. Over the past decades, numerous studies have evaluat...

Tomato crops are attacked by several pests, including mites. While the main predatory mites are not effective enough to control mite pests, recent studies have shown encouraging results with the European endemic phytoseiid Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) recki. The first objective of the study was to assess the ability of this species to disperse along t...

Trichomes are well-known efficient plant defense mechanisms to limit arthropod herbivory, especially in Solanaceae. The present study aims to evaluate the impact of trichome types on the development, survival and dispersal of Tetranychus urticae, and the phytoseiid predatory mite Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) recki. Six Solanum lycopersicum cultivars a...

Tomato crops are attacked by several pests, including mites. While the main predatory mites are not effective enough to control mite pests due to problems with plant dispersal and establishment (associated with glandular trichomes - GT - on leaves and stems), recent studies have shown encouraging results with the European endemic phytoseiid Typhlod...

Composite generalist herbivores are comprised of host-adapted populations that retain the ability to shift hosts. The degree and overlap of mechanisms used by host-adapted generalist and specialist herbivores to overcome the same host plant defences are largely unknown. Tetranychidae mites are exceptionally suited to address the relationship betwee...

Drought associated with climate change can stress plants, altering their interactions with phytophagous arthropods. Drought not only impacts cultivated plants but also their parasites, which in some cases are favored by drought. Herbivorous arthropods feeding on drought-stressed plants typically produce bigger offspring and develop faster. However,...

Crop protection confronts several defies often related to globalisation, one of which is the introduction of new pests from one region, or even from one continent to another, often resulting from movements of humans and commodities. Together with environmental modifications linked to climate change, which might also favor bioinvasions, these are so...

Trichomes are well-known efficient defense mechanisms used by tomato plants against herbivores and also can impact natural enemies. The system has been studied for years for this economically important crop, creating a pretty good baseline of knowledge of these complex processes. On cultivated tomato and wild relatives Solanum species, a high diver...

Amblyseius swirskii is a predatory mite of the family Phytoseiidae that is widely used in biological control of small insect and mite pests. A population from Israel was the source of material now commercially marketed by several biocontrol companies. The present study aimed to characterize the genetic variability of A. swirskii using 12S rRNA, Cyt...

The present study reports results of a survey carried out mostly on Citrus sp. and Rubus sp. in Georgia. Morphological and molecular (12S rRNA, COI and CytB mtDNA markers) data were analysed in a framework of integrative taxonomy. Eleven species were identified and among them seven are new for the Georgian fauna. Euseius stipulatus and Phytoseius f...

The effects of drought stress on plants and phytophagous arthropods are topics currently extensively investigated in the context of climate change. Dryness not only impacts cultivated plants but also their parasites, which in some cases are favoured by drought. It represents a major challenge that agriculture is facing in a perspective of intensifi...

AVIS de l’Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l’alimentation, de l’environnement et du travail relatif à « la stratégie de lutte vis-à-vis de Xylella fastidiosa - phase 2 ». L’Anses a été saisie le 28 septembre 2020 par la Direction générale de l’alimentation pour la réalisation de l’expertise suivante : demande d'appui scientifique et techni...

AVIS de l’Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l’alimentation, de l’environnement et du travail relatif à « la stratégie de lutte vis-à-vis de Xylella fastidiosa ». L’Anses a été saisie le 26 novembre 2019 par la Direction générale de l’alimentation pour la réalisation de l’expertise suivante : demande d’avis relatif à la stratégie de lutte vi...

AVIS de l’Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l’alimentation, de l’environnement et du travail relatif à une « Demande d’avis de l’Anses sur la période de latence de Xylella fastidiosa sur le genre Citrus »

The predator-prey system Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot (Acari: Phytoseiidae) and Tetranychus urticae (Koch) (Acari: Tetranychidae) represents the most studied and the most known system among the Acari. Because of the agronomical importance of the two mite species, a wealth of modelling studies investigated the interactions of the two speci...

Climate change (CC) clearly impacts food production, but risks on the climatic suitability of agricultural areas for vegetable crops, their pests and associated natural enemies are largely unexplored. Tomato, one of the most important vegetables in the world, is grown mostly outdoors, and may be severely impacted by CC. Farmers cultivating tomatoes...

Mites (Acariformes, Parasitiformes) are considered one of the largest groups in Arthropoda, with estimated numbers from 3 to over 10 million species. The majority of mites are small, with most of them being from ~100 um to 1,000 um, with color tones that help to camouflage them with the environment, making them difficult to detect at ports of entry...

The Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of Aleurocanthus spp., a well-defined insect genus of the whitefly family Aleyrodidae (Arthropoda: Hemiptera). Difficulties within the taxonomy of the genus give doubt about the ability to accurately identify some members to species level. Nevertheless, the genus is thought to currently incl...

Abstract This Guidance describes a two‐phase approach for a fit‐for‐purpose method for the assessment of plant pest risk in the territory of the EU. Phase one consists of pest categorisation to determine whether the pest has the characteristics of a quarantine pest or those of a regulated non‐quarantine pest for the area of the EU. Phase two consis...

Abstract EFSA was asked for a partial risk assessment of Spodoptera frugiperda for the territory of the EU focussing on the main pathways for entry, factors affecting establishment, risk reduction options and pest management. As a polyphagous pest, five commodity pathways were examined in detail. Aggregating across these and other pathways, we esti...

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of Chrysomyxa arctostaphyli, a well-defined and distinguishable fungal species of the family Coleosporiaceae. The pathogen is regulated in Council Directive 2000/29/EC (Annex IAI) as a harmful organism whose introduction into the EU is b...

The Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of Xiphinema americanum sensu lato (Nematoda: Longidoridae) for the EU. Sixty-one species in this group are recognised. They are polyphagous pests found in soil associated with a number of plant species. As a migratory ectoparasitic species, it punctures cells of plant roots. Nematodes were...

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Plant Health Panel performed a pest categorisation of Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii (hereafter P. s. subsp. stewartii). P. s. subsp. stewartii is a Gram-negative bacterium that causes Stewart's vascular wilt and leaf blight of sweet corn and maize, a disease responsible for serious cro...

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Plant Health Panel performed a pest categorisation of Melampsora medusae, a well-defined and distinguishable fungal species of the family Melampsoraceae. The pathogen is regulated in Annex IAI of Council Directive 2000/29/EC as a harmful organism whose introduction into the EU is banned. M....

The Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of the fungus Synchytrium endobioticum, the causal agent of potato wart disease, for the European Union (EU). The identity of the pest is well established and reliable methods exist for its detection and identification. S. endobioticum is present in most continents. The pest is listed in Ann...

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Plant Health Panel updated its pest categorisation of Xylella fastidiosa, previously delivered as part of the pest risk assessment published in 2015. X. fastidiosa is a Gram-negative bacterium, responsible for various plant diseases, including Pierce's disease, phony peach disease, citrus v...

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Plant Health Panel performed a pest categorisation of Lopholeucaspis japonica (Hemiptera: Diaspididae), an armoured scale which preferentially feeds on smooth barked woody trees and shrubs. The pest occurs in Asia, North America and non-EU Europe (Caucasus region and Ukraine). The pest is r...

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of Guignardia laricina, a well-defined and distinguishable fungal species of the family Phyllostictaceae. The pathogen is regulated in Council Directive 2000/29/EC (Annex IAI) as a harmful organism whose introduction into the EU is banne...

The Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of Colletotrichum gossypii, the fungal agent of anthracnose and ramulosis diseases of cotton, for the EU. The identity of the pest is well established and reliable methods exist for its detection/identification. The pest is present in most of the cotton-growing areas worldwide, including Bul...

The Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of nematodes belonging to the genus Hirschmanniella (Nematoda: Pratylenchidae). Twenty-nine species in this genus have been considered of which five species are present in the EU (Hirschmanniella behningi, Hirschmanniella gracilis, Hirschmanniella halophila, Hirschmanniella loofi and Hirschm...

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of Coniferiporia sulphurascens and Coniferiporia weirii, two well-defined and distinguishable fungal species of the family Hymenochaetaceae. The pathogens are regulated in Council Directive 2000/29/EC (Annex IAI, under the previous name...

The Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of the Siberian moth, Dendrolimus sibiricus Tschetverikov (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae). D. sibiricus is a well-defined and distinguishable species, native to Asian Russia and northern regions of Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China and North Korea, and recognised as a severe pest of Pinaceae conifers...

The Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of the non-EU Pissodes spp. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). They constitute a well-defined taxon, with non-EU species distributed in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, China, Japan, Korea, Russia and South Africa, some of which are recognised as severe pests of conifers, mainly Pi...

The Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of Grapholita packardi Zeller, (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), for the EU. G. packardi is a well-defined and distinguishable species. It is widely distributed in the USA and has a restricted distribution in Canada and Mexico. It is recognised as a pest of blueberry and cherry, and has occasional...

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of the seed-borne bacterium Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens pv. flaccumfaciens. The pest is regulated in Council Directive 2000/29/EC (Annex IIB) as a harmful organism whose introduction into, and spread within, the protected zones (PZ) of...

The Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of Nacobbus aberrans (Nematoda: Pratylenchidae), the false root-knot nematode, for the EU. The nematode was originally described from the American continent. Due to differences in host range as well as molecular variability among populations, N. aberrans should be regarded as a species compl...

The EFSA Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of 'Blight and blight-like' for the EU territory. Blight is a major disease of citrus. Similar 'blight-like' diseases are also known (e.g. declinio, declinamiento) and are addressed simultaneously with Blight in the present categorisation. The causal agent(s) remain(s) unknown and the p...

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Plant Health Panel performed a pest categorisation of Sphaerulina musiva, a well-defined and distinguishable fungal species of the family Mycosphaerellaceae. Following a recent phylogenetic analysis of the genus Septoria and other closely related genera, a new name (S. musiva) was introduce...

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Plant Health (PLH) performed a pest categorisation of Mycodiella laricis-leptolepidis, a well-defined and distinguishable fungal species of the family Mycosphaerellaceae. The former species name Mycosphaerella laricis-leptolepis is used in the Council Directive 2000/29/EC. The path...

The Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of the weevil Anthonomus quadrigibbus Say, (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), for the EU. A. quadrigibbus is a well-defined and distinguishable species, recognised as an occasional pest of apples, pears and sour cherries in North America where it also feeds on a range of wild rosaceous plants such...

The Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of the fungus Apiosporina morbosa, the causal agent of black knot, for the EU. The identity of the pest is well established and reliable methods exist for its detection/identification. The pest is listed in Annex IIAI of Directive 2000/29/EC and is not known to occur in the EU. Apiosporina m...

In 2014, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) started the PROMETHEUS (PROmoting METHods for Evidence Use in Scientific assessments) project to improve further and increase the consistency of the methods it uses in its scientific assessments. The project defined a set of principles for the scientific assessment process and a 4‐step approach (pl...

The Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of the South African citrus thrips, Scirtothrips aurantii Faure (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), for the European Union (EU). This is a well-defined and distinguishable species, recognised as a pest of citrus and mangoes in South Africa, which has been cited on more than 70 different plants, inclu...

The Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of the citrus snow scale, Unaspis citri (Comstock) (Hemiptera: Diaspididae), for the European Union (EU). This is a well-defined and distinguishable species, native to south-eastern Asia, which has spread to many tropical and subtropical regions. U. citri can be a pest of citrus and has been...

The Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of the citrus thrips, Scirtothrips citri (Moulton) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), for the European Union (EU). This is a well-defined and distinguishable species, occurring in North America and Asia. Its precise distribution in Asia is uncertain. S. citri is a pest of citrus and blueberries and...

The Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of the soil-borne fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. albedinis, the causal agent of Fusarium wilt of date palm, for the EU. The identity of the pest is well established and reliable methods exist for its detection/identification. The pest is listed in Annex IIAI of Directive 2000/29/EC and is...

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Plant Health (PLH) Panel performed a pest categorisation of Bretziella fagacearum, a well-defined and distinguishable fungal species of the family Ceratocystidaceae. The species was moved from the genus Ceratocystis to a new genus Bretziella following phylogenetic analysis of the species an...

Abstract Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Plant Health (PLH) Panel performed a pest categorisation of Anisogramma anomala, a well‐defined and distinguishable fungal species of the family Valsaceae. The pathogen is regulated in Annex IIAI of Council Directive 2000/29/EC as a harmful organism whose introduction into the EU i...

The Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of the gall midge Aschistonyx eppoi Inouye () (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae), for the EU. A. eppoi is a well-defined and distinguishable species, native to Japan and Korea, and recognised as a pest of Juniperus chinensis, although our knowledge is solely based on one unique publication. A. eppoi i...

Abstract The Plant Health Panel reviewed the paper by Guarnaccia et al. () and compared their findings with previous predictions on the establishment of Phyllosticta citricarpa. Four species of Phyllosticta were found by Guarnaccia et al. () in Europe. P. citricarpa and P. capitalensis are well‐defined species, with P. citricarpa recorded for the f...

Abstract The Panel on Plant health performed a pest categorisation of the Australian Eucalyptus snout‐beetle Gonipterus scutellatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), for the EU. G. scutellatus should be referred as the G. scutellatus species complex because it includes several cryptic species. A complete nomenclature of the species present in the EU is...

The EFSA Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation for Xanthomonas oryzae pathovars oryzae (Xoo) and oryzicola (Xoc), the causal agents of the bacterial blight and the bacterial leaf streak of rice, respectively. These pathovars are widely distributed in Asia, Africa and Australia. Xoo is also reported in some states of the USA and in s...

Abstract The Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of Tecia solanivora (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) the Guatemalan potato tuber moth, for the EU. T. solanivora is a well‐defined species which feeds exclusively on Solanum tuberosum. It was first described from Costa Rica in 1973 and has spread through Central America and into northern...

Abstract The European Commission requested EFSA to conduct a pest categorisation of Toxoptera citricida (Hemiptera: Aphididae), an oligophagous aphid developing and reproducing parthenogenetically on tender leaf and flower flush of citrus (Rutaceae). T. citricida is a taxonomic entity with reliable methods available for detection and identification...

The Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of Listronotus bonariensis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), the Argentine stem weevil, for the EU. L. bonariensis is a well-defined species, recognised as a serious pest of pasture grasses, especially Lolium spp. and Poa annua, in New Zealand, and a rare pest of cereals in Argentina, Brazil and...

The tomato red spider mite, Tetranychus evansi, is an emerging pest of solanaceous crops. Two distinct genetic lineages (I and II) have been identified, lineage I having a much wider geographic distribution than lineage II. This has been attributed to differences in cold hardiness that make lineage I better adapted to colonize the coldest parts of...

Abstract The European Commission requested EFSA to conduct a pest categorisation of Anthonomus grandis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), an oligophagous pest weevil feeding on Malvaceae, including Gossypium spp., Hampea spp., Cienfuegosia spp. and Hibiscus pernambucensis. Marginal reproduction has also been observed on the ornamental Hibiscus syriacus....

Abstract The Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of the strawberry blossom weevil, Anthonomus bisignifer Schenkling, (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), for the EU. Anthonomus bisignifer is a well‐defined and distinguishable species, recognised as an occasional pest of strawberry (Fragaria) fruit production in Japan where it is also feed...

Abstract The EFSA Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of the Citrus leprosis viruses for the EU territory and identified five distinct viruses, Citrus leprosis virus C (CiLV‐C), Citrus leprosis virus C2 (CiLV‐C2), Hibiscus green spot virus 2 (HGSV‐2), the Citrus strain of Orchid fleck virus (OFV) and Citrus leprosis virus N sensu...

Abstract The Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of the Diprionid sawfly, Gilpinia hercyniae Hartig (Hymenoptera: Diprionidae), for the EU. G. hercyniae is a well‐defined and distinguishable species, native to Europe but also present in North America, Japan, Mongolia, Korea and Pakistan, and recognised as a pest of spruce (Picea s...