Risk assessment of Anagyrus vladimiri as a biological control agent in the product Citripar

Sammanfattning

Citripar, a biological plant protection product containing the parasitic wasp Anagyrus vladimiri, is requested to be approved for use in Norway. The product is intended to be used against mealybugs, particularly Planococcus citri (citrus mealybug) and Planococcus ficus (vine mealybug) feeding on fruits, berries, vegetables and herbs in greenhouses and plastic tunnels, and on indoor plants. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority, therefore, asked the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment to perform a risk assessment of the product.

Occurrence and distribution in Norway: No observations of Anagyrus vladimiri have been reported from Norway.

Potential for establishment and spread: VKM assesses that Anagyrus vladimiri will not be able to establish and spread in Norway under current conditions due to the absence of host organisms and too low winter temperatures, even in the warmest parts of the country.

Potential effects on biodiversity: VKM assesses that Anagyrus vladimiri will not affect biodiversity in Norway, as there are currently no known native hosts for the wasp to parasitize.

Taxonomic challenges that may affect the risk assessment: Anagyrus vladimiri belongs to the wasp family Encyrtidae, a family that includes the genus Anagyrus, many of which have quite tangled taxonomic histories. Individuals of what is now known as Anagyrus vladimiri were for many years identified as belonging to Anagyrus pseudococci. Anagyrus pseudococci and A. vladimiri are members of a complex of nearly indistinguishable species that are informally referred to as the Anagyrus pseudococci complex: A. pseudococci, A. vladimiri, A. kamali, A. dactylopii, A. kivuensis, and A. callidus. These species have been used for biological control of various mealybug species. Should incorrectly identified Anagyrus be imported to Norway, there would be no consequences for biological diversity, since the other species in the Anagyrus pseudococci complex are also host specific to mealybug genera that are not found in the Norwegian fauna, and they are physiologically unfit for the current Norwegian climate.

Publicerad i

Report from the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM)
2025, nummer: 2025:01
Utgivare: Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM)

SLU författare

• Stenberg, Johan A.

  • Institutionen för växtskyddsbiologi, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
    

• Alsanius, Beatrix

  • Institutionen för biosystem och teknologi, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
    

UKÄ forskningsämne

Jordbruksvetenskap
Miljö- och naturvårdsvetenskap

Publikationens identifierare

• ISBN: 978-82-8259-451-6

Permanent länk till denna sida (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/140618