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United States Department of Agriculture

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Plant Protection and Quarantine

Importation of dragon fruit (multiple genera and 

species) from Thailand into the continental United 

States

Risk Management Document

March 28, 2011

Ver. 0.2

Plant Health Programs (PHP)

Regulations, Permits & Manuals

Contact Person: Claudia Ferguson 
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A. Introduction

The National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) of Thailand requested permission to 

export fresh dragon fruit (Hylocereus spp.) into the continental United States. Dragon fruit 

has not been imported from Thailand before, so a pest list was prepared by APHIS using a 

list of pests reported as attacking dragon fruit in Thailand, published scientific literature and 

worldwide pest interception records of the United States Department of Agriculture (PestID, 

2009).

The pest list, titled, ‘Pest List for the Importation of Dragon Fruit (multiple genera and 

species) into the Continental United States from Thailand’, (USDA, 2011), notes that the 

botanical nomenclature of dragon fruit is unsettled (Jacobs, 1999; Raveh et al., 1993; 

Soloman, 2006). This is partly due to its morphological similarities to and ability to hybridize 

with other Hylocereus spp. and cactus genera (Morton, 1987; Raveh et al., 1993; Tel-Sur et 

al., 2001). Numerous synonyms and frequent misidentifications exist for the commodity 

(NGRP, 2006; Jacobs, 1999; Morton, 1987; Tel-Sur et al., 2001). Therefore, listed below are

the fruit of cacti that are referred to as "dragon fruit" or “pitaya” that were assessed (Table 1).

Table 1. Cacti fruit that are referred to as Dragon Fruit or Pitaya1

Cactus species Synonym(s)/Alternate nomenclature

Acanthocereus occidentalis none

Acanthocereus tetragonus Acanthocereus 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 Cereus conglomeratus

Echinocereus stramineus Cereus stramineus, Echinocereus enneacanthus var. 

stramineus

Escontria chiotilla Cereus chiotilla

Hylocereus costaricensis Cereus trigonus var. costaricensis

Hylocereus ocamponis Cereus ocamponis

Hylocereus polyrhizus Cereus polyrhizus, H. lemairei

Hylocereus undatus Cactus triangularis, Cereus triangularis, C. tricostatus, C. 

trigonus var. guatemalensis, C. undatus, Hylocereus 

guatemalensis, H. tricostatus

Myrtillocactus geometrizans Cereus geometrizans

Stenocereus stellatus Cereus stellatus

Stenocereus thurberi Cereus thurberi, Lemairocereus thurberi,

Marshallocereus thurberi, Pachycereus thurberi

 1 NGRP, 2006; Jacobs, 1999; Morton, 1987; Soloman, 2006.
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The pest list identified the following eight quarantine pests that could follow the pathway of 

commercial consignments of fresh dragon fruit. 

Bactrocera correcta (Bezzi) (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett) (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Dysmicoccus neobrevipes (Beardsley) (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae)

Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green) (Homoptera; Pseudococcidae)

Planococcus lilacinus (Cockerell) (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae)

Planococcus minor (Maskell) (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae)

Pseudococcus cryptus (Hempel) (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae)

Thailand has proposed use of an APHIS approved irradiation treatment to mitigate risks from 

these pests.

The proposed importation of dragon fruit from Thailand, if approved, would be regulated by 

an amendment to the Code of Federal Regulations 7 CFR § 319.56. This document outlines 

the phytosanitary measures that APHIS will require if the proposed importation of dragon

fruit from Thailand is approved and documents the evidence used by APHIS to conclude that 

these measures will effectively prevent the introduction of quarantine pests. 

B. Risk Management Measures

APHIS proposes to allow the importation of the fresh dragon fruit (Hylocereus spp.) from 

Thailand into the continental United States under the following conditions: 

(a) The fruit must be irradiated with a minimum absorbed dose of 400 Gy and follow 

requirements of 7 CFR parts 305.31 and 319.56.

(b) If irradiation is applied outside the United States, each consignment of fruit must be 

precleared by APHIS inspectors in Thailand. Each shipment must be inspected jointly by

APHIS and Thailand inspectors and accompanied by a Phytosanitary Certificate (PC) issued 

by the national plant protection organization (NPPO) of Thailand certifying that the fruit

received the required irradiation treatment with 400 Gy as the minimum absorbed dose. 

(c) If irradiation is to be applied upon arrival in the United States, each consignment of fruit 

must be inspected by Thailand inspectors prior to departure and accompanied by a PC issued 

by the NPPO of Thailand.

(d) Dragon fruit consignments are subject to inspection at the US ports-of-entry. 

(e) Dragon fruit must be commercially produced and be part of a commercial consignment as 

defined in Section 319.56-2. 
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C. Historical Performance of Importing Irradiated Fruits

Current regulations 7 CFR 305.31 allow the use of irradiation to treat fruit for importation 

into the United States. Since April 2007, India has shipped mangoes to the United States, 

which have been irradiated with a minimum absorbed dose of 400 Gy for insect pests and are 

subject to a systems approach for fungal pathogens. To date, over 130 irradiated mango 

consignments have been received from India and no pests have been reported. Also, from 

over 100 consignments of longans, mangoes, mangosteens, and rambutans irradiated with 

400 Gy dose as the minimum absorbed dose in Thailand and imported into the United States 

during 2007 and 2008, no pests of quarantine significance have been reported (USDA, 2008).

APHIS regulations 7 CFR 318.13-4f allow interstate movement of fifteen different fruits and 

vegetables from Hawaii treated with irradiation at a minimum absorbed dose of 150 Gy to 

400 Gy for fruit flies and other quarantine pests. No live pests of quarantine significance 

have been intercepted in irradiated Hawaiian fruits or vegetables shipped to the mainland 

United States (Uyeda, 2005). In addition, consignments of Australian mangoes irradiated 

with 150 Gy dose and allowed into New Zealand since 2004 have also resulted in no pests of 

concern being intercepted (Edwards, 2005).

D. Evidence for the Effective Removal of Pests of Concern from the Pathway

The eight pests of concern likely to follow the pathway of dragon fruit from Thailand are all 

insects. Irradiation of fruits and vegetables with a minimum absorbed dose of 400 Gy is an 

approved treatment by APHIS for mitigating risks from all insect pests except adults and 

pupae of the order Lepidoptera (USDA, 2006). Since none of the pests belong to the order 

Lepidoptera, irradiation with 400 Gy is considered adequate to mitigate risks from all pests.

The requirement for a PC ensures phytosanitary quality control and rigor by requiring 

Thailand officials to conduct phytosanitary inspections. This effectively enforces the 

inspection the fruit receives. 

APHIS regulations on the use of irradiation require that the treatment be monitored where 

applied and the consignment examined for pests of concern by APHIS and the NPPO of the 

country of export prior to its shipment as part of preclearance activities. Although the 400 

Gy dose is effective for all eight pests as described above, pest monitoring in the field and 

inspections by the two NPPOs should ensure that the pest populations would not reach a 

level that might potentially overwhelm the effectiveness of the treatment.

E. Conclusion

The phytosanitary requirements described above include treatment of dragon fruit from 

Thailand with irradiation using a minimum absorbed dose of 400 Gy and inspections for the 

pests of concern. 
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APHIS concludes that based on the evaluation of effectiveness of these mitigation measures 

directed against the quarantine pests, safeguards of 7 CFR 319.56 and the additional 

mitigations described in this risk management document will result in the effective removal 

from the pathway of the quarantine pests identified by the pest list for the importation of 

fresh dragon fruit from Thailand. 

F. Author:

Devaiah A. Muruvanda, Ph.D. 

Senior Risk Manager-Entomology

G. Literature Cited:

Edwards, G. 2005. Personal Communication from G. Edwards of NZ Department of 

Agriculture & Fisheries to Karen Ackerman of USDA, APHIS, PPQ, Phytosanitary Issues 

Management, Riverdale, MD.

Jacobs, D. 1999. Pitaya (Hylocereus undatus), a Potential New Crop for Australia, The 

Australian New Crops Newsletter, Issue no. 11.

http://www.newcrops.uq.edu.au.newslett.ncn11163.htm

Morton, J. 1987. Strawberry Pear: Hylocereus undatus. New Crop Resource Online Program. 

Purdue University.

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/strawberry_pear_ars.html. 

NGRP. 2006. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). United States 

Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Genetic 

Resources Program (NGRP). http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgibin/npgs/html/index.pl?language=en. (Archived at PERAL)

PestID. 2009. Pest Identification Database (PestID). United States Department of 

Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and 

Quarantine. https://mokcs14.aphis.usda.gov/aqas/login.jsp. (Archived at PERAL).

Raveh, E., J. Weiss, A. Nerd, and Y. Mizrahi. 1993. Pitayas (Genus Hylocereus): a new fruit 

crop for the Negev desert of Israel. Pages 491-495 In J. Janick and J. E. Simon, (eds.).

New crops. Wiley, New York.

Soloman, J. C. 2006. W3TROPICOS Nomenclature Database. Missouri Botanical Gardens.

Available online from http://mobot.mobot.org/W3T/Search/vast.html.
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Tel-Sur, N., S. Abbo, D. Bar Zvi, and Y. Mizrahi. 2001. Hybridization between species and 

genera of fruit-crop vine cacti of the genera Hylocereus and Selenicereus.

HortScience 36(3):441.

USDA, 2011. Pest List for the Importation of Dragon Fruit (multiple genera and species) into 

the Continental United States from Thailand. USDA, APHIS, PPQ, Center for Plant Health 

Science and Technology. February 2010. pp.11

USDA, 2008. Pest Interception Data. USDA APHIS PPQ Plant Health Programs. Last 

checked April, 2008.

USDA. 2006. Treatments for Fruits and Vegetables. January 27, 2006 issue of Federal 

Register 71(18): 4451-4464

Uyeda, E. 2005. Personal communication from E. Uyeda, Port Director, US Department of 

Agriculture, USDA, APHIS, PPQ, Hilo, HI.