【Background】The coconut blackheaded caterpillar Opisina arenosella Walker (Lepidopetra: Oecophoridae) is one of the most notorious insect pests of palm trees such as Cocos nucifera L., Phoenix sylvestris Roxb, Livistona chinensis (Jacq.) R.Br. et al. Native to India and Sri Lanka. O.arenosella is currently distributed throughout South and Southeast Asia. Areas with palms in the south of China are potentially suitable distribution areas for O.arenosella. There is no report about O.arenosella in China yet, but if this species reaches China, will cause more serious damage than Brontispa longissima (Gestro), which is already a serious invasive pest. 【Method】In order to assess the potential risk level of O.arenosella to China and develop quarantine countermeasures, we performed a pest risk analysis (PRA) based on international standards for phytosanitary measures (ISPM) and the relational model of PRA. The risk level of O.arenosella were analyzed on five aspects—distribution, potential damaged degree, economical value of damaged host plants, spreading possibility and management difficulty in China and Hainan Island. 【Result】The value of the index of the pest risk was 2.20 and 2.30, indicating that O.arenosella is a dangerous alien species with high risk in China. 【Conclusion and significance】The strategy of the risk management for the O.arenosella was also evaluated in this paper.