## Importation of pitahaya fruit, Hylocereus spp. (mainly H.
undatus and H. megalanthus ), and other genera and species
from Israel into the continental United States

A Qualitative, Pathway-Initia ted Pest Risk Assessment

April 23, 2013

Version 1

Agency Contact:

Plant Epidemiology and Risk Analysis Laboratory
Center for Plant Health Science and Technology

United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Plant Protection and Quarantine 1730 Varsity Drive, Suite 300 Raleigh, NC 27606Pest Risk Assessment for Pitahaya from Israel

Ver. 1 April 23, 2013 i 

### Executive Summary

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prepared this risk asse ssment document to examine plant pest risks associated with importing commercially produced fruit of pitahaya, Hylocereus spp., including Hylocereus megalanthus (= Selenicereus megalanthus ) and Hylocereus undatus (Cactaceae), for consumption from Israel into the continental United States. During the assessment, additional genera were included ( Acanthocereus spp., Cereus spp., Echinocereus spp., Escontria spp., Myrtillocactus spp., Selenicereus spp., and Stenocereus spp.) because the terms “pitahaya” and “pitaya” commonly refer to a num ber of taxonomically related ge nera and species that have similar phytosanitary concerns (similar pests, si milar production systems). Information received
from Israel indicates that the pathway will include the fo llowing processes and conditions: plants are produced from certified mother plants and inspected daily by the growers; the fruit is handpicked and transported in cooled, closed wa gons to the packinghouse, where they are sorted, graded, and stored at 8-10 °C; the fruit is treated in a chlorine (400 ppm) dip for 2 minutes, then dried and packed; Plant Protection and Inspection Services (PPIS) inspectors check 2 percent of each consignment for compliance with phytosanitar y requirements; and fruit is shipped by air in pasteboard boxes. The risk assessment did not id entify any pests that would be impacted by the above processes..

From the scientific literature, port-of-entry pe st interception data, and information from the government of Israel, we identified only one pest with actionable regulato ry status for the United
States that is known to occur in Israel and known to be associ ated with the commodity plant species anywhere in the world: Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae). However, because of
the lack of a host association in the field with pitahaya, we did not furt her analyze that pest.

Detailed examination and choice of appropriate phytosanitary measur es to mitigate pest risk are part of the pest risk management phase within APHIS and are not addressed in this document.Pest Risk Assessment for Pitahaya from Israel

Ver. 1 April 23, 2013 ii 

### Table of Contents

Executive Summary ............................................................................................................. .......... i

1. Introduction ............................................................................................................... ................ 3 1.1. Background ............................................................................................................... ........... 3 1.2. Initiating event ......................................................................................................... ............. 3 1.3. Determination of the necessity of a w eed risk assessment for the commodity .................... 4 1.4. Description of the pathway ............................................................................................... ... 4

2. Pest List and Pest Categorization .......................................................................................... .. 6 2.1. Pests considered but not included on the pest list ................................................................ 6
2.2. Pest list ................................................................................................................ ................. 7 2.3. Notes on pests identified in the pest list ............................................................................... 7

3. Summary and Conclusions of Risk Assessment ..................................................................... 8

4. Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................... ........ 8

5. Literature Cited ........................................................................................................... ............. 8

6. Appendix A. Pests with non-ac tionable regulatory status .................................................. 12Pest Risk Assessment for Pitahaya from Israel

Ver. 1 April 23, 2013 3 

### 1. Introduction

1.1. Background

This document was prepared by the Plant Epidem iology and Risk Analysis Laboratory of the Center for Plant Health Science and Technology, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) to evaluate the risks associ ated with the importation of commercially pr oduced fruit of pitahaya ( Hylocereus spp., including Hylocereus megalanthus (K. Schum. ex Vaupel) Ralf Bauer [= Cereus megalanthus K. Schum. ex Vaupel (basionym) =Selenicereus megalanthus (K. Schum ex Vaupel) Moran] and Hylocereus undatus (Haw.) Britton & Rose [= Cereus undatus Haw.]) for consumption from Israel into the
continental United States. We included additional genera in our assessment ( Acanthocereus spp., Cereus spp., Echinocereus spp., Escontria spp., Myrtillocactus spp., Selenicereus spp., and
Stenocereus spp.) because the terms “pitahaya” and “pitaya” commonly refer to a number of taxonomically related genera and species (e.g., Ja cobs, 1999; Janick and Paull, 2008) that have similar phytosanitary concerns (similar pests, si milar production systems). This risk assessment considers the pest risks associated with “pitahaya,” “pitaya,” “pitajaya,” “pitajuia,” “pitalla,” “pithaya,” or “dragon fruit”, and any hybrids among these plants. The term “pitahaya” is used throughout this document to refer to all of thes e botanically related cac ti that produce edible fruit, except for species of Opuntia

.

The International Plant Protecti on Convention (IPPC) provides guida nce for conducting pest risk analyses. The methods used here are consis tent with guidelines provided by the IPPC, specifically the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) on “Pest Risk Analysis for Quarantine Pests, Including Analysis of Environmental Risks and Living Modified Organisms” (IPPC, 2011). The use of biological a nd phytosanitary terms is consistent with the “Glossary of Phytosanitary Terms” (IPPC, 2012).

Three stages of pest risk analys is are described in internationa l standards: Stage 1, Initiation; Stage 2, Risk Assessment; and Stage 3, Risk Management. This document satisfies the requirements of Stages 1 and 2.

This is a qualitative risk assessment. We expr ess the risk based on qualitative ratings for the likelihood and consequences of pe st introduction via the imported fresh pitahaya fruit from Israel. The details of the methodology and rating criteria are found in the Guidelines for Plant Pest Risk Assessment of Importe d Fruit and Vegetable Commodities (PPQ, 2012a).

The appropriate risk management strategy for a part icular pest depends on the risk posed by that pest. Identification of appropriate phytosanitary m easures to mitigate pest risk is undertaken in Stage 3 (Risk Management) and is not covered in th is risk assessment. Risk management will be specified in a separate document.

1.2. Initiating event

The importation of fruits and vegetables for c onsumption into the United States is regulated
under Title 7 of the Code of Federal Re gulations, Part 319.56 (7 CFR §319.56) (2012).Pest Risk Assessment for Pitahaya from Israel

Ver. 1 April 23, 2013 4 Currently, under this regulation, th e entry of pitahaya fruit from Is rael into the United States is not authorized. This assessment was prepared in response to a request fr om the Plant Protection and Inspection Services (PPIS), Ministry of Ag riculture and Rural Development of Israel to change the Federal Regulation to allo w entry of fresh pitahaya fruit [ Hylocereus , including H. megalanthus and H. undalatus ] from Israel in the continen tal United States (PPIS, 2011). Because of taxonomic confusion among members of the Cactaceae referred to as pitaya and pitahaya (Janick and Paull, 2008), we also considered pests on Acanthocereus spp., Cereus spp., Echinocereus spp., Escontria spp., Myrtillocactus spp., Selenicereus spp., and Stenocereus spp.

1.3. Determination of the necessity of a w eed risk assessment for the commodity

In some cases, the imported commodity may have the potential of becoming invasive in the PRA area. The likelihood that this may happen is ev aluated in a weed risk assessment, conducted separately from the commodity risk assessment.

Weed risk assessments do not need to be conducte d for plant species that are widely established (native or naturalized) or cultivated in the PR A area, for commodities that are already enterable
into the PRA area from other countr ies, or when the plant part(s) cannot easily disperse naturally or be propagated. We determined that a weed risk assessment is not needed for pitahaya. Hylocereus undatus is naturalized in the United States (F L) (eFloras, 2003). Pitahaya, including Hylocereus spp. and H. undatus, is already enterable from othe r countries (i.e., Mexico, Thailand, and Vietnam) (PPQ, 2012b). Pitaya frui t are not allowed entry from several counties (Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama) because program phytosanitary requirement s in 7 CFR 319.56-55 for this commodity to meet U.S. entry requirements are not op erational (PPQ, 2012b). Hylocereus megalanthus is listed as a naturalized and cultivated escape species el sewhere, but not a w eed (Randall, 2012), a nd restricted from Colombia until an approved treatment is operational for plant pests (PPQ, 2013) .

1.4. Description of the pathway

The IPPC (2011) defines a pathway as “any means that allows the entry or spread of a pest.” In the context of commodity pe st risk assessments, the pathway is the commodity to be imported, together with all the processes the commodity undergoes that may have an impact on pest risk. In this risk assessment, the specific pathway of concern is the importation of fresh fruit of Hylocereus spp., including H. megalanthus (“yellow pitahaya”) and H. undatus , and the additional genera listed in 1.2, for consumption fro m Israel into the con tinental United States. The movement of this commodity provides a potential pathway for the introduction and/or spread of plant pests.

The following description of this pathway focuse s on the conditions that may affect plant pest risk, including morphological a nd physiological characteristic s of the commodity, as well processes the commodity will undergo from production in Is rael through importation and
distribution in the United States . These conditions provided the basi s for creating the pest list and assessing the likeli hood of introduction of the pests selected for further analysis ; therefore, all components of the pathway, as they are descri bed below, should be considered mandatory conditions for importation of the commodity.Pest Risk Assessment for Pitahaya from Israel

Ver. 1 April 23, 2013 5 1.4.1. Description of the commodity Pitahaya species are members of the Cactacea e (Janick and Paull, 2008). Many taxonomic changes have occurred for pitahaya, includi ng the movement of many species among genera (Janick and Paull, 2008). The most current classi fication places pitahaya within the genera Hylocereus and Selenicereus (Janick and Paull, 2008), but due to taxonomic confusion surrounding species of pitahaya, in this risk assessment we ex amine the following taxonomically related genera in addition to Hylocereus spp.: Acanthocereus spp., Cereus spp., Echinocereus

spp., Escontria spp., Myrtillocactus spp., Selenicereus spp., and Stenocereus spp.

PPQ officially recognizes the following species as pitahaya: Acanthocereus occidentalis

, A

. tetragonus [= A

. colombianus

, A

. floridanus

, A

. pentagonus

, A

. pitajaya

, Cactus pentagonus

, C

. pitajaya

, C

. tetragonus

, Cereus pentagonus

, C

. pitajaya ], Cereus hildmannianus [= Cactus peruvianus

, Cereus uruguayanus ], Echinocereus conglomeratus [= C

. conglomeratus ], E.

stramineus [= C

. stramineus

, E

. enneacanthus var. straminues ], Escontria chiotilla [= C

. chiotilla ], Hylocereus costaricensis [= C

. trigonus var. costaricensis ], H

. ocamponis (SalmDyck) Britton & Rose [= C

. ocamponis ], H

. polyrhizus [= C

. polyrhizus

, H

. lemairei ], H

. undatus [= Cactus triangularis

, Cereus triangularis

, C

. tricostatus

, C

. trigonus var. guatemalensis

, C

. undatus

, H

. guatemalensis

, H

. tricostatus ], Myrtillocactus geometrizans [= C

. geometrizans ], Stenocereus griseus [= C

. griseus ], S

. gummosus (= C

. gummosus ), S. queretaroensis [= C. queretaroensis ], S

. stellatus [= C

. stellatus ], and S

. thurberi [= C

. thurberi

, Lemairocereus
thurberi

, Marshallocereus thurberi

, Pachycereus thurberi ] (PPQ, 2012b). PPQ also recognizes Hylerocereus megalanthus [= Selenicereus megalanthus, Cereus megalanthus ], yellow pitahaya (PPQ, 2013).

1.4.2. Production and harvest procedur es in the exporting area Production practices specified for pitahaya fruit in Israel requir e plants to be produced from certified mother plants(PPIS, 2011; however, no description of certificat ion requirements were provided). , “[F]lowers are hand pollinated and daily inspections are done by the growers. Insecticides and fungicides are only used when necessary” (PPIS, 2011). The fruit is handpicked, placed in plastic, aerated boxes (a bout 10 kg of fruit per box) and transported in cooled, closed wagons [ca.1-2 ton(s) of fruit per wagon] to th e packinghouse, normally a short distance from the field (PPIS, 2011).

1.4.3. Post-harvest procedur es in the exporting area Pitahaya fruit is sorted and graded (quality a nd size not specified) upon arrival at the packinghouse. The fruit is treated in a chlorine (400 ppm) dip for 2 minutes, then dried and packed. “Non-packed fruit can be stored in refrig eration (8-10°C) for up to 2 weeks” but the length of time fruit is stored after p acking was not specified (PPIS, 2011) . PPIS inspectors check “2% of each intended consignment at the packing house or port of exit for compliance with phytosanitary requirements and adherence to quality standards. A phytosanitary certificate is issued by a PPIS officer, concluding a positive inspection” (PPIS, 2011).

1.4.4. Shipping and storage conditions Shipping will be by air in pasteboard boxes, but storage conditions af ter packing were not specified (PPIS, 2011).Pest Risk Assessment for Pitahaya from Israel

Ver. 1 April 23, 2013 6 1.4.5. Summary of the pathway Figure 1 summarizes the pathway of concern: th e importation of fresh fruit of pitahaya for consumption from Israel into the continental United States. Although the Government of Israel specifically noted their intent to ship to the stat e of New York and the no rtheastern United States,
in this risk assessment we considered the PRA ar ea to be all of the continental United States.

Figure 1 . Pathway of fresh fruit of pitahaya from Is rael into the contin ental United States.



### 2. Pest List and Pest Categorization

In this section, we identify the plant pests with actionable regulatory stat us for the continental
United States that could become established in the continental United States as a result of the importation of pitahaya fruit from Israel, and we determine which of these pests meet the criteria for further analysis. Pests are considered to be of regulatory significance if they are actionable at U.S. ports-of-entry. Actionable pe sts include quarantine pests, pests considered for or under official control, and pests that re quire evaluation for regulatory action.

2.1. Pests considered but not included on the pest list

2.1.1. Pests with weak evidence for a ssociation with the commodity or for presence in the export

area Pseudococcus cryptus Hempel (= Syn. Pseudococcus citriculus Green) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) occurs in Israel (Ben-Dov et al ., 2012) but we found no credible records of its association with the commodity ( Hylocereus spp. and related genera). It was intercepted one time at a U.S. port-of-entry on Acanthocereus sp. in baggage (PestID, 2013), but we consider
that insufficient evidence for association with the commodity.

2.1.2. Organisms with non-acti onable regulatory status We found evidence of the organisms listed in A ppendix A being associated with pitahaya and being present in Israel; however, because thes e organisms have non-actionable regulatory status for the United States, we did not include th em in Table 1 of this risk assessment.Pest Risk Assessment for Pitahaya from Israel

Ver. 1 April 23, 2013 7 2.2. Pest list

In Table 1, we list the actionable pests associated with pitahaya that occur in Israel. The list comprises those actionable pests that occur in Isra el on any host and are re ported to be associated with fresh fruit of pitahaya whether in Israel or elsewhere in the world. For each pest, we indicate 1) the part of the impor ted plant species with which the pe st is generally associated, and 2) whether the pest has a reas onable likelihood of being associat ed, in viable form, with the commodity following harvesting from the field and prior to any post- harvest processing. We developed this pest list based on the scientific literature, port-of-e ntry pest interception data, and information provided by the government of Israel.

Table 1 . Actionable pests reported on pitahaya (in any country) and present in Israel (on any host).

Pest name Evidence of presence in
Israel Host status 1 Plant part(s)
association 2 On harvested plant part(s)? 3 Remarks

Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) CABI, 2013 Type 2b ( Keck and Marshall, 1930; Sponagel et al., 2001 ) Fruit (Sponagel et al., 2001) No See discussion
in section 2.3.

2.3. Notes on pests identified in the pest list

We only identified one actionable pest— Ceratitis capitata —in Israel with a host association with pitahaya. Existing literature refers either to forced laboratory infestations of pitahaya with a very low success rate (Keck and Marshall, 1930, as cited by Liquido et al ., 2013; Sponagel et al., 2001) or to bibliographic citations naming pitaha ya as a host with no supporting field evidence (e.g., DeWoskin, 1981; Weems, 1981; Maes, 2004; Liquido et al., 2013). Ceratitis capitata was intercepted once on fruit of Acanthocereus sp. in baggage from Argentina in 1994 (PestID, 2013). A single interception of an immature fruit fly in a commodity is insufficient evidence for a field host association, particularly when it occurred in passenger baggage. We found no published evidence that any species of pitahaya in this risk assessment (see Sections 1.1. and

1 Type 1 is a natural host, i.e., a plant species that become s infested or infected by a plant pest in nature under natural conditions (e.g., natural, cultivated and/or unmanaged plants), and the plant pest is sustained on that plant species. Type 2 a, b is a conditional host, i.e. a plant species that is only a host or a non-host under certain conditions. Specifically, Type 2 b is a conditional non-host that under certain conditions becomes a host. Type 3 is a natural non-host (pests for which the plant has this st atus are not included in the pest list). Type 4 refers to situations when the plant is not a food source but serves as a fomite, which is an object or material (including a harvested plant part) that may be contaminated with a pest and that could transmit that pest from one place to another (PPQ, 2012a).

2 The plant part(s) listed are those for the plant species under analysis. If the informati on is extrapolated, such as from plant part association on other plant species, this is noted.

3 “Yes” indicates simply that the pest has a reasonable lik elihood of being associated with the harvested commodity; the level of pest prevalence on the harvested commodity (low, medium, or high) is qualitatively assessed in risk element A1 as part of the likelihood of introduction assessment (section 3).Pest Risk Assessment for Pitahaya from Israel

Ver. 1 April 23, 2013 8 1.4.1 for the commodity’s taxonomic identity) is a field host for C. capitata. Based on the above, we believe that the pest is highly unlik ely to be present in commercially produced pitahaya fruit. 4



### 3. Summary and Conclusions of Risk Assessment

We developed a list of all poten tial pests using the scientific literature, port-of-entry pest interception data, and information from the govern ment of Israel. We identified only one pest with actionable regulatory status for the United States that is known to occur in Israel and known to be associated with the commodity plant species anywhere in the world: Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae). However, because of the lack of a host associa tion in the field with pitahaya, we did not furt her analyze that pest.

Detailed examination and choice of appropriate phytosanitary measur es to mitigate pest risk are part of the pest risk management phase within APHIS and are not addressed in this document.



### 4. Acknowledgements

Authors Betsy Randall-Schadel, Plant Pathologist a Marina Zlotina, Entomologist a

Reviewers Leah Millar, Entomologist a Scott Redlin, Plant Pathologist a

a Plant Epidemiology and Risk An alysis Laboratory, USDA-APHIS-PPQ



### 5. Literature Cited
7 CFR § 319.56. 2012. U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 7, Part 319 (7 CFR § 319.56 - Fruits and Vegetables). Alfieri Jr., S. A., K. R. Langdon, J. W. Kimbrough, N. E. El-Gholl, and C. Wehburg. 1993. Diseases and Disorders of Plants in Florida. Florida Dept. Agric. and Consumer Serv., Division of Plant Industry Bulletin 14:146-156. Ben-Dov, Y., D. R. Miller, and G. A. P. Gibson. 2012. ScaleNet, Life Histories. Icerya seychellarum (Westwood). United States Department of Agri culture, Systematic Entomology Laboratory. (Archived at PERAL). Ben-Ze’ev, I. S., I. Assouline, E. Le vy, and G. Elkind. 2011. First report of Bipolaris cactivora causing fruit blotch and stem rot of dragon fruit (pitaya) in Israel. Phytoparasitica 49:195-197. Bibliowicz, A., and S. M. Hernández. 1998. Or ganismos fungosos presentes en las estructuras reproductivas de la pitaya amarilla . Tesis de Agronomia. Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Santefe de Bogota.

4 Because of the high level of uncertainty around th is particular issue, provisiona l mitigation measures might be necessary (at the discretion of the APHIS risk managers) wh ile the evidence regarding the host status in the field is being actively sought, as stipulated in the Article 5 (§ 7) of the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (WTO, 1995). The risk manage ment process is not a part of this risk assessment.Pest Risk Assessment for Pitahaya from Israel

Ver. 1 April 23, 2013 9 CABI. 2013. Crop Protection Compendium. CAB Inte rnational. Last accessed March 18, 2013, http://www.cabicompendium.org/cpc. Chessin, M., and D. Lesemann. 1972. Distribution of cactus viruses in wild plants. Phytopathology 62:97-
99. Chuang, M. F., H. F. Ni, H. R. Yang, S. L. Shu, S. Y. Lai, and Y. L. Jiang. 2012. First report of stem canker disease of pitaya ( Hylocereus undatus and H. polyrhizus ) caused by Neoscytalidium
dimidiatum in Taiwan. Plant Disease 96(6):906-906. Crane, J., and C. Balerdi. 2005. The pitaya ( Hylocereus undatus and other spp.) in Florida. University of Florida, IFAS Extension, Miami-Dade County. DeWoskin, R. 1981. Medfly training manual.Joint co operative Mediterranean fruit fly eradication project. USDA, California Department of Food and Agriculture, Santa Clara County Agricultural Commissioner, and Alameda County Department of Agriculture, Los Gatos, California. Du, M., C. L. Schardl, E. Nuckles, and L. J. Va illancourt. 2005. Using mati ng-type gene sequences for improved phylogenetic resolution of Collectotrichum species complexes. Mycologia 97:641-658.
eFloras. 2003. Cactaceae Hylocereus 1. Hylocereus undatus (Haworth) Britton & Rose. Flora of North American (FNA).Published on the Internet 4:175, 176. Last accessed April 11, 2013, http://www.eFloras.org. Elad, D., U. Orgad, B. Yakobson, S. Perl, P. Golomb, R. Trainin, I. Tsur, S. Shenkler, and A. Bor. 1991. Eumycetoma caused by Curvularia lunata in a dog. Mycopathologia 116(2):113-118. Erwin, D. C., and O. K. Ribeiro. 1996. Phytopht hora Diseases Worldwide. APS Press, St. Paul, MN. 562

pp. FAO. 2008. Forest Pest Species Profile: Botryosphaeria dothidea (Moug:Fr.) Ces. and De Not. . Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). (Archived at PERAL). Farr, D. F., and A. Y. Rossman. 2013. Fungal Databases. Systematic Botany and Mycology Laboratory, ARS, USDA. http://nt.ars-grin/fung a.databases/. (Archived at PERAL). Gardan, L., C. Gouy, R. Christen, and R. Sa mson. 2003. Elevation of three subspecies of Pectobacterium

carotovorum to species level: Pectobacterium atrosepticum sp. nov., Pectobacterium
betavasculorum sp. nov. and Pectobacterium wasabiae sp. nov. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology 53:381-391. Hall, G. 1993. An integrated approach to the analysis of variation in Phytophthora nicotianae and a redescription of the species. My cological Research 97:559-574. ICTVdB Management. 2006. 00.056.0.01.003. Cactus virus X

. in C. Büchen-Osmond, ed. ICTVdB - The Universal Virus Database, version 4. Columbia University, New York, USA. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ICTVdb/ICTVdB/. IPPC. 2011. International Standards For Phytosanitary Measures, Publication No. 11: Pest Risk Analysis for Quarantine Pests Including Analysis of Envir onmental Risks and Living Modified Organisms. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Na tions, Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), Rome, Italy. 30 pp. IPPC. 2012. International Standards For Phytosanita ry Measures, Publication No. 5: Glossary of Phytosanitary Terms. Food and Agriculture Organizat ion of the United Nations, Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), Rome, Italy. 38 pp. Jacobs, D. 1999. Pitaya ( Hylocereus undatus ), a Potential New Crop for Australia. The Australian New Crops Newsletter. Issue No 11, Section 16.3. Janick, J., and R. E. Paull. 2008. The Encycloped ia of Fruit and Nuts. CAB International. 954 pp. Keck, C. B., and G. E. Marshall. 1930. Report on host determinations of the Mediterranean fruit fly from April 1929 to February 28, 1930. USDA Orlando Progress Reports 71, Florida. Kritzman, G., and Y. Ben-Yephet. 1990. Control by metam-sodium of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris and the pathogen's survival in soil. Phytoparasitica 18(1):217-227. Lan, G. B., Z. F. He, P. G. Xi, and Z. D. Jia ng. 2012. First report of brown spot disease caused by Neoscytalidium dimidiatum on Hylocereus undatus in Guangdong, Chinese mainland. Plant Disease 96(11):1702.Pest Risk Assessment for Pitahaya from Israel

Ver. 1 April 23, 2013 10 Liou, M. R., Y. R. Chen, and R. F. Liou. 2004. Complete nucleotide sequence and genome organization
of a Cactus virus X strain from Hylocereus undatus (Cactaceae). Archives of Virology 149(5):1037-1043. Liou, M. R., C. L. Hung, and R. F. Liou. 2001. First report of Cactus virus X on Hylocereus undatus (Cactaceae) in Taiwan. Plant Disease 85(2):229. Liquido, N. J., G. T. McQuate, and K. Suiter. 2013. MEDHOST: An Encyclopedic Bibliography of the Host Plants of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), Version 1.1. United States Department of Agriculture, Center for Plan t Health Science and Technology, Raleigh, N.C. https://www.gpdd.info/MedHost/. (Archived at PERAL). Madmony, A., L. Chernin, S. Pleban, E. Peleg, and J. Riov. 2005. Enterobacter cloaceae, an obligatory endophyte of pollen grains of Mediterranean pines. Folia Microbiology 50(3):209-216. Maes, J. M. 2004. Insectos asociados a algunos cultivos tropicales en el Atlantico de Nicaragua. parte III : cítricos ( Citrus spp., rutaceae). Rev. Nica. Ent 64(004.Supplemento 1, parte III):242. Masyahit, M., K. Sijam, Y. Awang, and M. G. M. Sa tar. 2009. First report on bacterial soft rot disease on dragon fruit ( Hylocereus spp.) caused by Enterobacter cloacae in Peninsular Malaysia. International Journal of Agricu lture and Biology 11:659-666. NIS. 2008. Change in action status for armored scales (Hemiptera: Diasp ididae) on material for consumption (NIS action policy, March 25, 2 008). United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine, National Identification Services (NIS). Palmateer, A. J., R. C. Ploetz, E. van Santen, and J. C. Correll. 2007. First occurrence of anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides on pitahaya. Plant Disease 91(5):631-631.
PestID. 2013. Pest Identification Database. United St ates Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine. PPIS. 2011. Prerequisite information from NAPO to APHIS Re: Export of fresh Hylocereus spp. (pitaya) fruit from Israel to USA, 26.12.2011. Plant Prot ection and Inspection Services (PPIS), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Bet Dagan, Israel. PPIS. 2012. Disease caused by Neoscytalidium dimidiatnumi (Penz.) Cross & Slippers 2006. Plant Protection and Inspection Services (PPIS) , Plant Protection Diagnostic Service. PPQ. 2012a. Guidelines for Plant Pest Risk Assessment of Imported Fruit and Vegetable Commodities (First Edition). United States Department of Ag riculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ), Raleigh, NC. PPQ. 2012b. List of Scientific Names of Admissible Dragon Fruit in Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Import
Manual. PPQ. 2013. Fruits and Vegetables Manual, List of Approved Fruits and Vegetables. United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant H ealth Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ). 3-82 pp. Punithalingam, E., and P. Holliday. 1972. Diaporthe phaseolorum . CMI Descriptions of pathogenic bacteria and fungi, no. 336. Commonwealth Mycological Institute, Kew, England. Randall, R. P. 2012. A Global Compendium of Weeds, 2nd edition. Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia, Perth, Australia. 1107 pp. Robinson, G. S., P. R. Ackery, I. J. Kitching, G. W. Beccaloni, and L. M. Hernández. 2010. HOSTS - A Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants. Natural History Museum, London. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/hosts. (Archived at PERAL). Sharon, A., S. Ezrati, L. Oren, D. Cohen, and S. Gr af. 2003. Current status of corn wilt diseases (Abstr.). Phytoparasitica 31(4):417. Sponagel, K., L. Vásquez, and F. Díaz. 2001. Determination of the condition of pitahaya Hylocereus
undatus (Haw) Britt & Rose as hosts of 2 species of fruit fly Ceratitis capitata Wiedemann and Anastrepha ludens Loew. Proceedings of the Interameri can Society for Tropical Horticulture
43:87-89.Pest Risk Assessment for Pitahaya from Israel

Ver. 1 April 23, 2013 11 Tarnowski, T. L. B., A. J. Palmateer, and J. H. Crane. 2010. First Report of Fruit Rot on Hylocereus
undatus Caused by Bipolaris cactivora in South Florida. Plant Disease 94(12):1506-1506. Udayanga, D., X.-Z. Liu, P. W. Crous, E. H. C. McKenzie, E. Chukeatirote, and K. D. Hyde. 2012. A multi-locus phylogenetic evaluation of Diaporthe ( Phomopsis ). Fungal Diversity 56:157-171. Valencia-Botín, A. J., H. Kokubu, and Y. D. Or tíz-Hernández. 2012. A brief overview on pitahaya ( Hylocereus spp.) diseases. Australasian Plant Pathology Online DOI 10.1007/s13313-012-0193-
8. Valencia-Botín, A. J., J. S. Sandoval-Islas, E. Cárdenas-Soriano, T. J. Michailides, and G. RendónSánchez. 2003. Botryosphaeria dothidea causing stem spots on Hylocereus undatus in Mexico. New Disease Reports 7:25. Weems, H. V. 1981. Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann). Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry, Entomology Circular 230, Gainesville, FL. Wright, E. R., M. C. Rivera, A. Ghirla nda, and G. A. Lori. 2007. Basal rot of Hylocereus undatus caused by Fusarium oxysporum in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Plant Disease 91(3):323-323. WTO. 1995. The WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement). World Trade Orga nization Geneva, Switzerland.Pest Risk Assessment for Pitahaya from Israel

Ver. 1 April 23, 2013 12 

### 6. Appendix A. Pests with non-actionable regulatory status

We found some evidence of the organisms listed below being associated with pitahaya (e.g., Hylocereu s sp., mainly Hylocereus megalanthus and Hylocereus undatus, and associated genera of pitahaya) and being present in Israel; however, because these organisms have non-actionable regulatory status for the United Stat es, we did not list them in Tabl e 1 of this risk assessment.

Below we list these organisms along with the references suppor ting their potential association with pitahaya (primarily Hylocereu s sp., mainly Hylocereus megalanthus and Hylocereus
undatus but also assessed Acanthocereus spp., Cereus spp., Echinocereus spp., Escontria spp., Myrtillocactus spp., Selenicereus spp., and Stenocereus spp.)

, their potential presence in Israel, their presence in the United States (if applicab le), and their regulatory status for the United States. For organisms not present in the United States, we al so provide justifi cation for their nonactionable status.

We did not include the following two non-actionabl e (occur both in the Unite d States and Israel) organisms in the table below because their only association with the host was based on the few interception records:

 Cadra cautella (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae): PestID, 2013 (inter cepted three times
with Hylocereus sp. in baggage); present in Isra el and United States (CABI, 2013).

 Zabrotes subfasciatus (Boheman) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae): PestID, 2013 (intercepted one time with Hylocereus sp. in baggage); present in Israel and United States (CABI, 2013).

Organism Evidence and/or other notes Arthropods Abgrallaspis cyanophylli (Signoret)

(Hemiptera: Diaspididae) Ben-Dov et al., 2012. On commodities for consumption Diaspididae have non-actionable status (NIS, 2008).

Acanthococcus coccineus (Cockerell)

(Eriococcidae) [Syn. Eriococcus coccineus Cockerell] (Hemiptera: Eriococcidae) Ben-Dov et al., 2012; PPIS, 2011

Aphis craccivora Koch (Hemiptera:

Aphididae) CABI, 2013; PestID, 2013

Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera:

Aphididae) CABI, 2013; PestID, 2013

Diaspis echinocacti (Bouché)

(Hemiptera: Diaspididae) Ben-Dov et al., 2012

Ectomyelois ceratoniae Zell.

(Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) PestID, 2013 (intercepted on Cereus sp.); Robinson et al., 2010

Ephestia elutella (Hubner)

(Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) PestID, 2013

Ferrisia malvastra (McDaniel)

(Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) Ben-Dov et al., 2012Pest Risk Assessment for Pitahaya from Israel

Ver. 1 April 23, 2013 13 Organism Evidence and/or other notes

Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande)

(Thysanoptera: Thripidae) CABI, 2013; PestID, 2013

Hemiberlesia lataniae (Signoret)

(Hemiptera: Diaspididae) PestID, 2013; Ben-Dov et al., 2012

Icerya purchasi Maskell (Hemiptera:

Monophlebidae) PestID, 2013; Ben-Dov et al., 2012

Planococcus citri (Risso) (Hemiptera:

Pseudococcidae) PestID, 2013; Ben-Dov et al., 2012

Pseudococcus longispinus (Targioni

Tozzetti) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) PestID, 2013; Ben-Dov et al., 2012

Pseudococcus viburni (Signoret)

(Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) Ben-Dov et al., 2012

Saissetia coffeae (Walker)

(Hemiptera: Coccidae) PestID, 2013; Ben-Dov et al., 2012

Vryburgia brevicruris (McKenzie)

(Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) Ben-Dov et al., 2012

Nematodes Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid &

White) Chitwood CABI, 2013; PestID, 2013; PPIS, 2011

Meloidogyne javanica (Treub)

Chitwood CABI, 2013; PPIS, 2011

Fungi and Chromistans Aspergillus niger Tiegh. On Cereus grandifolia in Armenia, but also present in both the United States and Israel on other hosts (Farr and Rossman, 2013). Bipolaris cactivora (Petr.) Alcorn (=

Drechslera cactivora (Petrak) M.B. Ellis) Bipolaris cactivora, a pathogen of pitahaya fruit, flowers and stems (Ben-Ze’ev et al., 2011; Valencia-Botín et al., 2012; Tarnowski et al., 2010), is present both in the United States (Tarnowski et al., 2010; Farr and Rossman, 2013) and Israel (Ben-Ze’ev et al., 2011). Botryosphaeria dothidea (Moug:Fr.)

Ces. & De Not. Anamorph:
Fusicoccum aesculi Corda This pathogen on pitahaya fruit (Valencia-Botín et al., 2003) is reported in both the United States (Farr and Rossman, 2013) and Israel (Forest pest; FAO, 2008). Colletotrichum gloeosporioides

(Penz.) Penz. & Sacc. (= C. gloeosporioides Penz.; Teleomorph: Glomerella cingulata (Stoneman) Spaulding & Schrenk) This pathogen attacks fruits and stems of pitahaya (ValenciaBotín et al., 2012), but is reported in both the United States (Palmateer et al., 2007) and Israel (on Persea ; Du et al., 2005).

Curvularia lunata (Wakker) Beodijn Attacks fruit and stems (Valencia-Botín et al., 2012 ), but is present in both the United States (CABI, 2013; Farr and Rossman, 2013) and Israel (cactus thorns and causing eumycetoma in a dog; Elad et al., 1991).Pest Risk Assessment for Pitahaya from Israel

Ver. 1 April 23, 2013 14 Organism Evidence and/or other notes Diaporthe phaseolorum (Cooke &

Ellis) Sacc. Hylocereus is a host (Farr and Rossman, 2013; Udayanga et al., 2012), but pathogen is present in both the United States (Farr and Rossman, 2013) and Israel (Punithalingam and Holliday, 1972). However, CABI (2013) indicates that the presence of D. phaseolorum var. sojae in Israel is based on an unreliable record.
Fusarium oxysporum Schlechtend.:Fr. Causing a stem soft rot stem from the soil line to the graft union

on H. undatus rootstock in Argentina (Wright et al., 2007), Fusarium oxysporum is present in the United States and in Israel on other hosts (Farr and Rossman, 2013). No evidence of host specificity, varieties, or forms of the pathogen on Hylocereus
was found.

Fusarium verticillioides (Sacc.)

Nirenberg Teleomorph: Gibberella moniliformis Wineland) On pitaya (Bibliowicz and Hernández, 1998); the United States (various hosts, Farr and Rossman, 2013); Israel (on corn, Sharon et al., 2003).

Note: G. fujikuroi is a synonym pro parte (mating population A only) (Farr and Rossman, 2013) Neoscytalidium dimidiatum (Penz.)

Crous & Slippers = Fusicoccum
dimidiatum (Penz.) D.F. Farr; Scytalidium dimidiatum (Penz.) B. Sutton & Dyko; Torula dimidiata Penz.; Hendersonula toruloidea

Nattrass Spots and stem cankers on pitahaya ( Hylocereus undatus and H. polyrhizus ) in Taiwan (Chuang et al., 2012) and in China (Lan et al., 2012). Pathogen is reported in both the United States (CA, WV, WA, HI) (Farr and Rossman, 2013) and Israel (PPIS, 2012).

Phytophthora nicotianae Breda de

Haan (= P. parasitica Dastur) Cereus spp. Japan (Erwin and Ribeiro, 1996); the United States (Farr and Rossman, 2013); Israel on citrus (Hall, 1993; Farr and Rossman, 2013).

Bacteria

Enterobacter cloacae (Jordan)

Hormaeche & Edwards Plant pathogenic (fruit and stem rot) on two species of Hylocereus in Malaysia, though usually an endophyte (Masyahit et al., 2009). Present in the United States (various hosts; Valencia-Botín et al., 2012) and Israel (on pine pollen; Madmony et al., 2005).

Pectobacterium carotovorum (L.R.

Jones) Waldee subsp. caratovorum (Jones) Hauben et al. emend. Gardan
et al. (= Erwinia carotovora (L. R. Jones) Holland pv. carotovora (L. R. Jones) Bergey et al.) Bacterial soft rot found in Florida on Cereus (Alfieri Jr. et al., 1993), and an isolate has also been reported from Israel on maize, but is an ungrouped strain (Gardan et al., 2003).

Xanthomonas campestris (Pammel)

Dowson Stem rot on pitahaya in the the United States (Crane and Balerdi, 2005); in Israel on other crops (K ritzman and Ben-Yephet, 1990; CABI, 2013).Pest Risk Assessment for Pitahaya from Israel

Ver. 1 April 23, 2013 15 Organism Evidence and/or other notes

Virus
Cactus virus X potevirus (CVX) This mechanically and graph transmitted potevirus causes mottle on stems in Taiwan (Liou et al., 2001) and systemic mild mottling of stem in China (Liou et al., 2004). Reported from all plant tissues, but not seed transmitted (ICTVdB Management, 2006). Present in both United States (Chessin and Lesemann, 1972) and Israel (PPIS, 2011).