1 United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Plant Protection and Quarantine



# Importation of Fresh Fruit of Pitaya, Hylocereus spp. , from Mexico into the Continental United States

Risk Management Document

September 20 , 2010

Ver. 2

United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Agency Contact: marc.phi l lips @aphis.usda.gov2 I. 

### Executive Summary:

The National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) of Mex ico requested market access to export
fresh pitaya ( Hylocereus spp.) fruit to the United States from all parts of Mexico

. Pitaya have previously been im ported from M exico in to the United States only from APHIS recognized fruit fly free areas in Mexico

. Mexico proposed to treat the fruit with a 150 G y APHIS

- approved generic irradiation treatment that would mitigate risks from fruit flies

.

Based on the p revious enterability and the supposition that the fruit would receive an APHIS approved irradiation t reatment for fruit flies , APHIS determined that a pest list identify ing all quarantine pests in Mexico would be su f ficient information to evaluate pathway risks. This streamlined approach would also meet one of APHIS’ objectives behind the development of a generic irradiation treatment for most plant pests.

APHIS’ s Center for Plant Health Science an d Technolog y (CPHST) developed a pest list for pitaya ( Hylocereus spp. and several other genera and species ) originating from Mexico (USDA,

20 1 0) . CPHST ide ntified eight quarantine pests that are likely to follow the pathway for th is

commodit y . The pest list w as based on published scientific literature an d pest interception

records of the United Sta tes Department of Agriculture (Pest ID, 20 1 0)

.

Analysis of the pest list for pitaya from Mexico indicated that the three fruit flies likely to follow the pathway would be effectively neutralized 1 with the irradiation generic dose of 15 0 Gy (USDA, 2006).

This risk management document outlines the phytosanitar y measures that APHIS will require for the importation of pitaya from Mexico and documents the evidence used by APHIS to conclude that these measures will effectively prevent the introduction of quarantine pests into the

continental United States

.

II. 

### A nalysis of quarantine pest s and mitigation measures required

A. Introduction

The pest list completed by CPHST identified eight quarantine pests that could potentially follow the pathway of pitaya fruit from Mexico (USDA, 20 1 0). These include seven insect pests and

one mollusc as follows:

Table 1. Quarantine pests likely to follow the pathway of fresh pitaya fruit imported from

M exico into the contine n tal United States

.

1 A pest is considered neutralized when it is killed, rendered sterile or its further development into becoming an adult is stopped.3 Pest Taxonomy

Insects
Anastrepha fraterculus Wiedemann Diptera: Tephritidae
Anastrepha ludens (Loew) Diptera: Tephritidae
Ceratitis capitata ( Wiedemann ) Diptera:Tephritidae
Dysmicoccus neobrevipes (Beardsley) Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae

Euschistus servus (Say) Hemiptera: Pentatomidae
Maracayia chlorisalis Walker Lepidoptera: Py ralidae

Planococcus minor (Maskell) Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae

Molluscs

Milax sp. Stylommatophora: Limacidae

B. Risk M anagement Measures

APHIS proposes to allow the importation of the fresh pitaya fruit from Mexico into the

continental United States under the following conditions:

(a) The fruit must be commercially produced and be part of a commercial consignment as defined in CFR Section 319.56

- 2. (b) The fruit must be irradiated with a minimum absorbed dose of 150 Gy and follow the requirements of 7CFR parts 305 and 319. (c) If irradiation is applied outside the United States, e ach consignment of fruit must be inspected jointly by APHIS and M exico inspectors and accompanied by a Phytosanitary

C ertificate (PC) issued by the national plant protection or ganization (NPPO) of M exico certifying that the fruit received the required irradiation treatment with 150 Gy as the

minimum absorbed dose

. T he PC must also include an A dditional D eclaration (AD) stating

that the consignment was inspected during the pre

- c learance activities and found free from

Milax sp

. , Dysmicoccus neobrevipes , Euschistus servus, Maracayia chlorisalis and

Planococcus minor

. (d) If irradiation is to be applied upon arrival in the United States, e ach consignment of fruit

must be inspected by th e NPPO of Mexico prior to departure using a sampling procedure mutually agreed upon by APHIS and the NPPO of Mexico and accompanied by a PC issued by the NPPO of M exico with an AD stating that the consignment was inspected by M exican inspectors and found free from Milax sp.
, Dysmicoccus neobrevipes , Euschistus servus, Maracayia chlorisalis and Planococcus minor

. (e) Each consignment is subject to inspection at the U

. S

. ports

- of

- entry.

C. Evidence for the Effective Removal of Pests of Concern from the Path way

As part of the U.S. requirements (7CFR305.9) governing the use of irradiation as a phytosanitary treatment, APHIS and the NPPO of Mexico must jointly develop an operational work plan (OWP). The work plan shall include details of activities, including inspection of articles that NPPO must perform before the treatment or departure. Inspection of the fruit and freedom from4 pests not targeted by irradiation as declared on the PC will ensure that all pests of concern are removed from the pathway.

(i) In sect Pests:

Three of the eight pests likely to follow the pathway are fruit flies

. A minimum absorbed dose of

150 Gy has been determined by APHIS regulations 7CFR305.9 to be adequate to neutralize all

fruit flies

.

Mealybugs (Pseudococcidae) and stinkb ugs (Pentatomidae) are surface pests. It is expected that commercial shipments with standard quality control

, including culling

, will remove most of these pests from the commodity. Inspection of the commodity by the NPPO, with certification that the

comm odity is free from the specified quarantine pests of concern, will provide adequate mitigation for these pests. S ince 1985, inspectors at U.S. ports

- of

- entry have never intercepted these species o n pitaya from fruit fl y free areas where market access is c urrently allowed (PestID, 2010)

.

The Pyralid moth Maracayia chlorisalis feeds internally in stem s and fruit s , and t he pupae occur inside the fruit or peduncle/stem of the host plants ( SDR, 2007) . They have been found to be associated with premature fruit drop and/ or obvious damage and symptoms ( SDR, 2007 ), thereby making it likely for the fruit to be culled during standard harvest or post

- harvest handling and processing. Aiello and Solis (2003) observed that larvae leave visible exit holes, masses of whit e silk and frass which are highly conspicuous. S ince 1985, inspectors at U.S. ports

- of

- entry have

never intercepted larvae or pupae of th is gen us associated with pitaya ( PestID, 20 1 0 ). Pitaya are currently enterable into the United States from areas in n orther n Mexico that are free of fruit flies. No Lepidoptera have been intercepted in commercial shipments of pitatya from Mexico (Pest ID, 201 1 ).

(ii) Molluscs :

Milax sp. are slugs in the family Limacidae. Slugs lay their eggs in the soil and are generali st feeders on many types of plants. Signs of infe station are feeding damage to the leaves and fruit. Slugs are usually nocturnal feeders and are seldom found on the plants during the day. The slugs may shelter under plant parts touching the soil. High h umidity is required to support populations of slugs ; hot dry climates limit their populations (Stephenson, 1968; Barker, 2002).

APHIS has determined that Milax sp. i s a quarantine pest that follows the pitaya fruit import pathway (USDA, 20 1 0). However, m ost infe s ted fruit will likely be culled because t rained harvesters, packinghouse personnel, and plant quarantine inspectors can easily detect the large slug on fruits. Therefore, packinghouse measures such as culling of the infested fruit coupled

with predepar ture inspections by the NPPO, an additional declaration on a phytosanitary certificate stating the consignment to be free from the pest , and allowing only the commercially produced consignments are considered adequate to mitigate the pest risk.5 

### I II . Conclusion

The phytosanitary requirements described above include treatment of pitaya fruit from M exico with irradiation using a minimum absorbed dose of 15 0 Gy , commercial shipments and phytosanitary inspections for pests not targeted by the irradiat ion treatment. B ased on the evaluation of effectiveness of these measures directed against the pests of concern , APHIS finds that the safeguards of 7 CFR § 319.56 and the additional mitigations described here in will result

in the effective removal of the pests of concern i dentified by the pest list for the importation of

fresh pitaya from Mexico into the continental United States

. Pitaya are currently enterable into

t he United States from areas in n orthern Mexico that are recognized free of fruit flies (U SDA, 2011) . Only one pest, Aecidium sp. (rust fungus), has been intercepted in commercial shipments of pitatya from these fruit fly free areas (PestID, 2011). A ll pests other than fruit flies are readily visible on inspection. Therefore an irradiation treatment of 150 gy for fr u it flies and inspection for other pests are adequate mitigations for the importation of pitaya from Mexico.



### I V. Author s :

Walter P. Gould , Ph.D. Senior Risk Manager

– Entomology

Jose Hernandez, Ph.D.

Senior Risk Manager

- Plan t Patholog y



### V. References:

Aiello, A., and M.A. Solis. 2003. Defense mechanisms in Pyralidae and Choreutidae: Fecal stalactites and escape holes, with remarks about cocoons, camoflage and aposematism.

J ournal of the Lepidopterists’ Society 57: 168

- 175. Barker, G.M. 2002. Molluscs as crop pests. CABI, Wallingford, U.K. 468 pp.

PestID. 20 1 1 . Pest Identification Database (PestID). United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine. Accessed

Feb. 2011. SDR. 2007. Paquete tecnológico

– Pitahaya (Extension Bulletin). La Secretaria de Desarollo Rural (SDR), Puebla State, Mexico. 24 pp. http://www.sdr.gob.mx/Contenido/CadenasProductivas/paquetes%20tecnologicos/PITAHAY A.pdf Stephenson, J.W. 1968. A review of the biology and ecology of slugs of agricultural importance. Proc. Malacological Soc. London 38: 169

- 178.

USDA. 2006. USDA 2006 . Treatments for Fruits and Vegetables. January 27, 2006 issue of Federal Register 71(18): 4451

- 4464

.6 USDA. 20 1 0. Pest List for the Importation of Fresh Fruit of Pitaya Fruit, Hylocereus spp. and several other genera and species, from Mexico into the Cont inental United States. USDA, APHIS, CPHST, 13 pp. USDA. 2011. Fruits and Vegetables Import Requirements (FAVIR). https://epermits.aphis.usda.gov/manu al/index.cfm?action=cirReportP&PERMITTED_ID=10

595879 Accessed Feb. 2011.