INVASIVE ALIEN SPECIES Aproceros leucopoda Takeuchi (Hymenoptera: Argidae) ON ULMUS CULTIVARS IN SERBIA
Milka Glavendekić
University of Belgrade, Faculty of Forestry, Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture, Belgrade, Serbia,[email protected] Introduction
• Biological invasions • Significant influence: ecosystem degradation, economic loss in plant production and negative effect on human wellbeing. • Invasive species are naturalised, liable to outbreaks and capable of spreading to large areas. • Impacts of invasive species on biodiversity in Europe is underestimated by comparison with North America, e.g. for plants and for invertebrates (DAISIE, 2008) SURVEY ON ALIEN INVASIVE SPECIES IN SERBIA
• Before 2005 • After 2005 – Based on literature – National and – 17 species of mites international and 53 insect projects species. – Above 150 insect – Quarantine pests in species Agriculture and – 32 mite species Forestry. – Ecological and economic aspects of inavsive plants and arthropods. Genara Ulmus Forest trees and ornamental tree (Tree lines and parks)
Ulmus americana L. Ulmus canescens Melville Ulmus effusa Willd Ulmus glabra Huds. Ulmus minor Mill. Ulmus pumila L. - Siberian elm (Ulmus pumila var. ‘pinnato-ramosa’ Henry) High diversity of diseases and pests (mites, insects). • Dutch elm disease transmitted by bark beetles (Scolytus spp.) Nursery Aproceros leucopoda Takeuchi (Hymenoptera: Argidae) Origin: East-Asia Distribution in Europe: Hungary, Poland, Rumunia, Ukraine, Slovakia, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Serbia and Croatia (Blank et al. 2010; Zandigiacomo et al., 2011, Matošević, 2012; de Groot and Hauptman, 2012)
Aproceros leucopoda - larva Pupa in cocoon Materials and methods
Species identification A. leucopoda: the key of Blank et al. (2010) has been used.
For the identification of elm species the key of Vukicevic (1997) has been used.
Species distributionin in Serbia in nurseries, suburban forests and urban green spaces (tree lines and parks) was carried out in 2012.
Blank et al. (2010) Life cycle of A. leucopoda Rapid reproduction enhanced by parthenogenesis. Females fly in late April and repeatedly till August. •Female lays 7–49 eggs, singly at the edge of elm leaves. The whole life cycle takes 24-29 days. Multivoltine species (four generations per year). Larval feeding from the begining zig- zag to total defoliation. Eonimfa in loose cocoon, pupate after 2-3 days. Popal stage is 4-7 days. Infested plants in nurseries in the vicinity of Belgrade, Central and western part of Serbia. Along rivers Danube, Sava and Morava Low level of infestation Trade and transfer of infested plants (20-225 km) Tree lines in Belgrade, Оbrenovac
Nursery in the vicinity of Belgrade Infested plants in tree row new planting Very low level of infestation
Park – forest Коšutnjak
Sawfly is observed along roads 79.3% infested trees 63% infested shrubs
City park of Vrnjačka banja Natural enemies
The only natural enemie of A. leucopoda is Blondelia nigripes Fallén (Tachinidae, Diptera). Parasitoid of the winter moths and other Lepidoptera (Glavendekić, 1999). Highly poliphagous parasitoid not appropriate for biological control (Blank et al. 2010). In the nursery in western part of Serbia (Šabac) it was opserved larva of Harmonia axirydis feeding on larve of A. leucopoda. CONCLUSIONS
• Wide spread of elms, the rapid reproduction and the absence of efficient natural enemies of A. leucopoda could quickly increase its abundance and distribution in Serbia and other European countries. • Leaf damage caused by this invasive alien species is detrimental to the aesthetic value of elm trees. • A. leucopoda attacks could increase the decline of elms already suffering from Dutch elm disease. • Further investigations are required to define the distribution, life history and behaviour of A. leucopoda, and to detect suitable natural enemies for biocontrol of the pest. Thank you for your attention