Intercitrus, the Spain-wide interprofessional agri-food group for oranges and tangerines, raised alarms when a threat emerged in 2017. Pomegranate moth, thought to have come from Morocco, can attack up to 70 plant species across 50 families. Alicante, led by Baix Vinalopó, along with parts of Elche and Vega Baja, accounts for more than 80 percent of Spain’s pomegranate production. Elche even holds a protected designation for the Mollar pomegranate.
Last November, Thaumatotibia leucotreta, the moth commonly called the false moth, was detected in Moroccan pomegranates in the Almería port. Authorities testing this insect, a recognized pest in Europe, returned a positive result and the shipment was halted.
Thanks to swift action, the pest could likely have shown up in a fruit from a country that had not declared the pest, had the entry gone through. If a contaminated batch had reached a warehouse in Almería, it could have threatened not only nearby citrus and stone fruits but also other crops shared by routes of trade, including avocados, vines, peaches, nectarines and mangos. It could have impacted crops such as peppers or eggplants and even extended to cotton, corn, or ornamental flowers like roses, Intercitrus notes.
Given the seriousness of a polyphagous pest capable of attacking up to 70 plant species, risk analyses indicate that this pest could adapt to a Mediterranean climate similar to Moroccan or Spanish. Intercitrus urges European authorities to dispatch inspectors to verify the extent of possible presence in Morocco.
Quarantine
This intervention should alert the entire Spanish and European fruit and vegetable sector. If suspicions are confirmed, the European Commission should reassess its policy on this pest. The ongoing quarantine, treated as a priority, ranks among the twenty quarantines with the greatest economic, environmental, and social impact, warns Inmaculada Sanfeliu, Intercitrus President for oranges and tangerines.
Morocco currently stands as a non-EU supplier. Spain exported 339,476 tonnes of fruit and vegetables from January to September this year, ranking fifth among all EU destinations in the same period with about 1.04 million tonnes. Morocco’s growth as a fruit and vegetable supplier to Spain has surged—exports have more than tripled over the last decade. Costa Rica and Ecuador each export around 1.3 million tonnes, Egypt about 1.1 million, and South Africa around 1.09 million in similar windows.
Citrus fruits are a leading entry point for imports. While not the only pest of concern, its trajectory has been volatile. In recent years it has challenged South Africa for the European lead as a non-EU supplier of tangerines, with Israel not far behind.
Confirm Suspicions
If Thaumatotibia leucotreta is confirmed in Morocco, the European Union will find that the top non-European suppliers of clementines and tangerines face this pest. This would necessitate cold treatment and potentially extend to tangerines in these three countries—Morocco, South Africa and Israel—beyond the oranges from affected areas as is currently the case, Sanfeliu insists.
If this pest were introduced into Spain, eradication would be very difficult, if not almost impossible, according to the same sources. An emergency action plan prepared by the government in 2020 could become a key reference in the response.
Durability
Non-systemic insecticides that do not penetrate the plant fail to reach the larvae, which spend much of their life inside the fruit. The pest has also developed resistance to many systemic and commonly used non-systemic insecticides, according to the same sources.
The limited availability of active substances authorized by the EU and potential future tightening of European phytosanitary rules will make control efforts increasingly challenging.
The larva feeds internally, so symptoms on fruits are often not visible from the outside. During harvest inspections, recent infestations may go undetected since symptoms take days to appear after the larva enters the fruit and shipping conditions can obscure detection. Intercitrus continues to monitor the pest’s development and its implications for trade.