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Home , Aricia nicias, Cacyreus, Eumedonia, Eumedonia eumedon, Geranium, Geranium bronze

Hellenic Protection Journal 4: 31-34,2011

SHORT COMMUNICATION

Report of the Bronze , marshalli for mainland

A.F. Martinou', D. Papachristos2 and P.G. Milonas'

Summary In July and September 2010, two samples of infested geranium ( spp.), which were originally collected from Kifissia, Attica-Greece, were received at the Laboratory of Bio- logical Control at Benaki Phytopathological Institute, Greece. Larvae were taken from infested plants and kept under laboratory conditions at 25±1°C, 70±5% RH and under a photoperiod of 16L:8D h un- til adults emerged. Adults were identified as the Butterfly, Cacyreus marshalli But- ler (: ). This is recorded for the first time for mainland Greece. Cacyreus marshalli is on the EPPO A2 List of pests recommended for the regulation as quarantine pests. Gera- nium Bronze Butterfly has the potential to establish in Greece and the rest of the Mediterranean ba- sin as climatic conditions can allow this to overwinter outdoors and its host plants are common- ly propagated.

Additional keywords: biodiversity, butterfly, geranium, invasive, Pelargonium spp.

The identification of the species was based on two infested geranium plant samples re- ceived at the Laboratory of Biological Con- trol at Benaki Phytopathological Institute in July and September 2010. The plant samples ( and stems) were originally collected from Kifissia, Attica-Greece and were kept at 25±1°C and 70±5% RH until adult emer- gence. Based on the adult morphological characteristics, the species was identified as the Geranium Bronze Butterfly Cacyreus marshalli (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) (Figures Figure 1. Adult of Cacyreus marshalli (upperside). 1, 2). Eggs of the Geranium Bronze are whit- ish to light-yellow or brown in colour (Figure 3); 0.5 mm in diameter x 0.3 mm in height (2). Eggs are laid near the flower buds or less frequently on the leaves. Caterpillars (Figu- re 4) are found within the flower buds or in- side the stem, where they bore through. En- trance holes in buds and stems are easy to detect. Once attacked, the stems turn black-

Laboratories of Biological Control (1) and Agricultural Entomology (2), Department of Entomology and Agri- cultural Zoology, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, 8 St. Delta Str., GR-145 61 Kifissia (Athens), Greece. Corresponding author: [email protected] Figure 2. Adult of Cacyreus marshalli (underside).

Benaki Phytopathological Institute 32 Martinou et al.

Figure 3. Egg of Cacyreus marshalli. Figure 4. Caterpillars of Cacyreus marshalli.

ish. The first- instar larvae have an average (7, 10). length of 1 mm which increases to 2 mm Pelargonium spp., commonly known as within 8 days. Second, third and fourth- in- , are the main host plants of this stars grow to 3, 6 and 13 mm, typically in 8, pest but the butterfly also has the capacity 8 and 9 days, respectively. Their colour var- to infest native Geranium spp. (8). ies, with extremes of yellow and/or green- Cacyreus marshalli is on the EPPO A2 ish shades with or without pink markings List of pests recommended for regula- (2). Pupae are very hairy in shades of green, tion as quarantine pests. Although on the pale-yellow or brown, with brown mottling EPPO A2 List, C. marshalli has not been and an average length of 9 mm (2). Female regulated as a quarantine pest by Euro- adults have a wingspan of 18-27 mm while pean Regional Plant Protection Organiza- male adults have a wingspan of 15-23 mm. tions and it has managed to spread rapid- The two sexes are similar in appearance. ly in islands and mainland and Adults have a bronze-brown colouring at the (4, 9). The potential for natural spread of upper surface with white spots on the fringe this pest is very low as its flights are short and highly-patterned undersides. They also in duration with frequent rests (3). The bear substantial tails on their hindwings, most likely means of international disper- along with a nearby eye spot, which diverts sal is the movement of infested plant ma- attacks from birds and other predators away terial. The example of the rapid establish- from the critical body parts. ment of C. marshalli on Mallorca (Balearic The species is indigenous to Southern Islands) and its spread to the Spanish Africa (2). According to the EPPO distribu- mainland shows that the pest has the po- tion maps of quarantine pests, C. marshalli tential to establish in the Mediterranean is present (with no detailed records) in Bo- basin and could pose a threat for the Eu- tswana, , , South Afri- ropean mainland. Geraniums are exten- ca, Swaziland and . To date it has sively grown as ornamental plants almost been observed in European countries such throughout , but Spain, , It- as and Italy with a few occurrences, aly and Greece, as well as North Africa, France and mainland Spain, where it is re- are at greater risk since their climatic con- corded as present with a restricted distribu- ditions would allow the pest to overwin- tion, and finally , and the ter outdoors. Furthermore, breeding and Balearic and Canary islands, where it is re- propagation of geraniums play an impor- ported as present but with no detailed re- tant role in these regions. Elsewhere in cords. This is the first record for mainland Europe, the pest could establish in glass- Greece while there are previous records for houses (1). the species from the Ionian island of Corfu Cacyreus marshalli has never been re-

© Benaki Phytopathological Institute Geranium Bronze butterfly report 33

ported as a pest species in its area of ori- We would like to thank Mr Timothy Cowles for gin, probably due to autochthonous para- providing with photos and Mr Rob Parker for sitoids and predators that manage to keep sharing with us his interest on , es- its population under the damage threshold. pecially regarding the Geranium Bronze But- The introduction of the Geranium Bronze terfly. into Europe is having a great impact on the nursery sector, with a consequent decrease in the demand of geraniums, which are ever Literature cited more often replaced by customers with oth- 1. Baufeld, P. 1993. Pest risk analysis of Cacyreus er ornamental plants. Furthermore, the Ge- marshalli from a phytosanitary point of view. ranium Bronze could cause problems in the Nachrichtenblatt des Deutschen Pflanzenschutz- mountainous and hilly habitats where wild dienstes, 45: 257-262. Geranium spp. commonly exist. Adapta- 2. Clark, G.C. and Dickson, C.G.C. 1971. Life histories of the South African lycaenid butterflies, pp. 60- tion of C. marshalli in these habitats could 61. Purnell, Cape Town, . threaten the native flora and biodiversity 3. Eitschberger, U. and Starner, P. 1990. Cacyreus through competition with other species marshalli, a new species of butterfly for the fau- such as eumedon (Esper) (Lepi- na of Europe? Atalanta, 21: 101-108. doptera: Lycaenidae) and nicias (Mei- 4. Favilli, L. and Manganelli, G. 2006. Life history of gen) (Lepidoptera: Lycaneidae) (8). Aricia ni- Cacyreus marshalli, a South African species re- cently introduced into Italy. Bollettino della Soci- cias has been characterized as rare for Spain eta Entomologica Italian a, 138: 51-61. (5) while E. eumedon has been characterized 5. Gardenfors, U. 2005. Rodlistade arter i Sverige as vulnerable in Greece (11). 2005. The 2005 Red List of Swedish Species. 496 No or predators were ob- pp. ArtDatabanken, SLU, Uppsala. served in Italy for C. marshalli (4) except of 6. Herrero, S., Borja, M. and Ferre", J. 2002. Extent a single case where an egg of the pest was of Variation of the Tox- parasitizedby Trichogramma evanescens in Reservoir: the Case of the Geranium Bronze, Cacyreus marshalli Butler (Lepidoptera: Lycaeni- Westwood. In South Africa, Apanteles spp. dae). Applied and Environmental Microbiology, have been reported to kill third- instar lar- 68: 4090-4094. vae of the pest (2). Products based on Bacil- 7. Parker, R. 2010. Cacyreus mashalli Butler, 1898 lus thuringiensis or diflubenzuron, flufenox- (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae) newly recorded for uron, hexaflumuron, lambda-cyhalothrin, Corfu, with notes on other butterflies on the is- land in September 2008. Entomologist's Gazette, a-cypermethrin and benfuracarb could be 61:40 -42. used as insecticides for the control of C. 8. Quacchia, A., Ferracini, C., Bonelli, S., Balletto, E. marshalli (9). For the long-term control of and Alma, A. 2008. Can the Geranium Bronze, the Geranium Bronze with B. thuringiensis- Cacyreus marshalli, become a threat for Europe- based insecticides it would be advisable to an biodiversity? Biodiversity and Conservation, 17: 1429-1437. combine CrylAb with CrylBa (6). It would be wise to start a monitoring programme Web sites for this pest in Pelargonium spp. nurseries as 9. http://dc.eppo.org/ well as in urban resident areas of mainland 10. http://www.pamperis.gr/THE_BUTTERFLIES_OF_ Greece and the islands where these plants GREECE/Nees_anaphores_New_records.html are widely used in gardens and in balconies. 11. http://filotis.itia.ntua.gr/species/d/6642/5. Additionally, surveys could be undertaken Gardenfors in the monitored areas in order to identify predators or parasitoids that could be used as potential biocontrol agents for this pest. Received: 8 November 2010 ; Accepted: 1 June 2011

Benaki Phytopathological Institute 34 Martinou et al.

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Hellenic Plant Protection Journal 4: 31-34,2011

Benaki Phytopathological Institute