Available online at http://journals.usamvcluj.ro/index.php/promediu

ProEnvironment

ProEnvironment 9 (2016) 62 - 66

Original Article

The Box Tree , Walker (: : ) a New Invasive Species in Cluj Area (Romania)

BUNESCU Horia*, Teodora FLORIAN

University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, 3-5 Calea Mănăştur Street, 400372, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Received 20 January 2016; received and revised form 21 February 2016; accepted 20 March 2016 Available online 30 March 2016

Abstract

The box tree moth, Cydalima perspectalis Walker is a recent introduced species in Europe (from 2006), as a defoliator pest which causes severe damages to Buxus spp. and spread rapidly in different European countries. The researches carried out in 2015-2016 in Cluj-Napoca (Romania), in laboratory and field conditions. Our aim was to identify, study and report this pest in ecological conditions of Cluj-Napoca (Romania).

Keywords: Cydalima perspectalis, Buxus, pest, invasive species.

1. Introduction The box tree moth, Cydalima (Diaphania) perspectalis Walker native from Eastern Asia (Japan, The box tree moth, Cydalima (Diaphania) Korea, China, India, Russian Federation, etc.) it was perspectalis Walker belongs to Family Crambidae introduced in Europe for the first time in Germany which contain 9,655 species of grass , (2006), then in Netherlands and Switzerland (2007), classified into 1,020 genera [9], [10]. Great Britain (2008), France and Austria (2009), This moth is included in the Subfamily Lichtenstein (2010), Belgium, Italy, Romania, Spilomelinae (= Wurthiinae) with about 3500 species Hungary, Turkey (2011), Denmark (2013), Spain worldwide this is the most speciose group among (2014), Bosnia-Hercegovina and Greece (2015). The pyraloids. The moths are characterized by the pest is also known in Croatia, Belgium, Czech absence of chaetosemata, a bilobed praecinctorium, Republic and Slowakia [6, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17]. projecting fornix tympani, pointed spinula, absence In Europe, Cydalima perspectalis Walker of a gnathos, and the female genitalia have no larvae have only been observed eating species of box: rhomboidal signum on the bursa copulatrix. The Buxus microphylla Siebold & Zuccarini, B. Spilomelinae are believed to be polyphyletic [12]. microphylla var. insularis Nakai, Buxus sempervirens Linné and Buxus sinica Cheng. However, in Asia other reported hosts include Ilex purpurea Hasskarl (purple-leaved holly), Euonymus japonicus Thunberg (Japanese spindle plant), and * Corresponding author. Euonymus alatus Siebold (burning bush) [7]. Tel: +40-264-596384 Fax: ++40-264-593792 e-mail: [email protected] 62 BUNESCU Horia and Teodora FLORIAN/ProEnvironment 9(2016) 62 - 66

The larvae of C. perspectalis feed on the leaves The pests were detected by periodical visual of box trees but can attack the bark of the trees, control. The has been collected straight by causing them to dry out and die [8]. Typical hand or with the aid of fine pincers, from the sprouts symptoms include feeding damage on the leaf edges, and leaves of tree box plants. Often the presence of with sometimes only leaf skeletons remaining. pests was evident by their damages. The collected Attendant symptoms are webbing of the branches material has been introduced in plastic boxes or bags. with frass and residues of molting such as, black head The studies on the material has been made capsules of different sizes. Heavy damage or with the aid of binocular microscope in the repeated attacks lead to total defoliation of the trees, Laboratory of Zoology-Entomology. The collected the subsequent attack of the bark causing the death of caterpillars were prepared to grow in laboratory the tree. Although EPPO has included the pest in the conditions. All the studied biological materials were Alert List in 2007, after more than 3 years this mosth photographed. was removed from the List, due to no requested measures by EPPO member countries [4]. 2. Results and Discussions In Romania there are some reports about the presence of this pest on Buxus [1, 2, 3, 5, 15, 18]. Our first observations concerning the box tree moth, Cydalima perspectalis Walker were made in 2. Material and Method April 2015, in a residential district in the West Side of Cluj-Napoca, on tree box shrubs and fences. Then The experiments were carried out between we found the moth in a green zone near River Someş 2015-2016, in urban area (gardens and parks in Cluj- in the same district and in our University Park. In Napoca - District of Cluj - Romania) and laboratory April 2016 after the first observations by visual (Discipline of Entomology-Zoology at University of control confirming the presence of Cydalima larvae Agricultural Sciences and Vetrtinary Medicine from on Buxus plants, there were collected some Cluj-Napoca). specimens for growth in laboratory.

Figure 1. The box tree moth, Cydalima (Diaphania) perspectalis Walker – larva (Original photo: Bunescu H., 2016)

63 BUNESCU Horia and Teodora FLORIAN/ProEnvironment 9(2016) 62 - 66

Figure 2. Cydalima perspectalis Walker feeding on Buxus sempervirens Linné (Original photo: Bunescu H., 2016)

Figure 3. Mature larva of Cydalima perspectalis Walker feeding on Buxus sempervirens Linné (Original photo: Bunescu H., 2016)

64 BUNESCU Horia and Teodora FLORIAN/ProEnvironment 9(2016) 62 - 66

Figure 4. The damage by defoliating the Buxus plasnts by larvae of box tree moth, Cydalima perspectalis Walker (Original photo: Bunescu H., 2016)

Figure 5. The damage on Buxus sempervirens Linné produced by larvae of box tree moth, Cydalima perspectalis Walker (Original photo: Bunescu H., 2016)

Walker (from April) in some locations of urban area 4. Conclusions in Cluj-Napoca (Romania), on tree box shrubs and fences. This pest has a very obvious impact damaging After the researches in 2015-2016, we reported the Buxus sempervirens Linné in different places the presence of box tree moth Cydalima perspectalis from urban areas (gardens, parks). The caterpillars of

65 BUNESCU Horia and Teodora FLORIAN/ProEnvironment 9(2016) 62 - 66

Cydalima perspectalis Walker are defoliators of box B.C. Schmidt, J.-C. Sohn, M.A. Solis, G.M. Tarmann, tree plants, affecting their ornamental value. A.D. Warren, S. Weller, R.V. Yakovlev, V.V. Zolotuhin, A. Zwick, 2011, Order Lepidoptera Linnaeus, 1758, In Z.- References Q. Zhang (ed.), biodiversity: An outline of higher- level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148, 23 Dec 2011, 212-221 [1] Bălan C., C. Corduneanu, 2014, Cydalima perspectalis

(Walker 1859) (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Crambidae) la [10] Nuss, M., B. Landry, F. Vegliante, A. Trankner, R. prima semnalare din Moldova (România)/Cydalima Mally, J. Hayden, A. Segerer, H. Li, R. Schouten, M.A. perspectalis (Walker, 1859) (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Solis, T. Trofimova, J. De Prins, W. Speidel, W., 2003- Crambidae) at the first observation in Moldavia 2011, Global Information System on Pyraloidea. - (Romania), Mnemosyne Vol. 5, Asociaţia pentru www.pyraloidea.org. Dezvoltare Durabilă OPTIM Botoşani, 39-40.

[11] Pérez-Otero R., J.P. Mansilla, M. Vidal, 2014, [2] Fora C.G., D.S. Poşta, 2015, Cydalima perspectalis Cydalima perspectalis Walker, 1859 (Lepidoptera, Walk. (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), a dangerous pest of Crambidae): una nueva amenaza para Buxus spp. en la Buxus sempervirens in Timis County, Romania, Journal of Península Ibérica, Arquivos Entomoloxicos, 10, AEGA, Horticulture, Forestry and Biotechnology, Vol. 19 (3), Nicaragua, 225-228. USAMVB Timişoara, 26-32

[12] Regier J.C., C. Mitter, M.A. Solis, J.E. Hayden, B. [3] Gutue C., Minodora Gutue, I. Roşca, 2014, Crambidae Landry, M. Nuss, T.J. Simonsen, S.-H. YEN, A. ZWICK, associated with parks and ornamental gardens of M.P. Cummings, 2012, A molecular phylogeny for the Bucharest, Scientific Papers. Series B, Horticulture. Vol. pyraloid moths (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea) and its LVIII, USAMV Bucureşti, 323-326 implications for higher-level classification, Systematic

Entomology, 37, Wiley-Blackwell, 635–656. [4] EPPO, 2011, Cydalima (=Diaphania) perspectalis.

EPPO Deletions. Disponible en: http://www.eppo.fr/ [13] Sáfián S., B. Horváth, 2011, Box Tree Moth – QUARANTINE/Alert_List/deletions.htm. Cydalima perspectalis (Walker, 1859), new member in the

Lepidoptera fauna of Hungary (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), [5] Iamandei Maria, 2010, Diaphania perspectalis Natura Somogyiensis 19, Kaposvár, 245-246. (Walker, 1859) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) a new pest of

Buxus spp. in Romania, Scientific Works USAMVB, [14] Salisbury A., A. Korycinska, A. J. Halstead, 2012, Series B, vol. LIV, Abstract, 787 The first occurrence of larve of the box tree moth,

Cydalima perspectalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in [6] Koren T., M. Črne, 2012, First record of the Box tree private gardens in the UK, Br. J. Ent. Nat. Hist., 25, 1-6. moth, Cydalima perspectalis (Walker, 1859) (Lepidoptera,

Crambidae) in Croatia, Nat. Croat. Vol. 21, No 2, Zagreb, [15] Skolka M., R. Zaharia, 2014, Cydalima perspectalis 507-510 (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) – new invasive species in

Constanţa, International Zoological Congress of “Grigore [7] Korycinska A., D. Eyre, 2011, Box tree caterpillar, Antipa” Museum 19-22 November 2014, Book of Cydalima perspectalis, FERA Plant Pest and Disease Abstracts, Bucharest, Ed. Medialux, Bucureşti, 181-182. Factsheets, The Food and Environment Research Agency

(Fera). [16] Solis M.A., 2007, Phylogenetic studies and modern [8] Leuthardt F.L.G., B. Baur, 2013, Oviposition classification of the Pyraloidea (Lepidoptera)/Estudios preference and larval development of the invasive moth filogenéticos y clasificación actual de los Pyraloidea Cydalima perspectalis on five European box-tree varieties, (Lepidoptera), Revista Colombiana de Entomología 33 (1), 1-9. Journal of Applied Entomology, 137, 6, 437-444. [17] Strachinis I., C. Kazilas, F. Karamaouna, N.E. [9] Nieukerken, van E.J., L. Kaila, I.J. Kitching, N.P. Papanikolaou, G.K. Partsinevelos, P.G. Milonas, 2015, Kristensen, D.C. Lees, J. Minet, C. Mitter, M. Mutanen, First record of Cydalima perspectalis (Walker, 1859) J.C. Regier, T.J. Simonsen, N. Wahlberg, S.-H. Yen, R. (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in Greece, Hellenic Plant Zahiri, D. Adamski, J. Baixeras, D. Bartsch, B.Å. Protection Journal 8, 66-72. Bengtsson, J.W. Brown, S.R. Bucheli, D.R. Davis, J. De Prins, W. De Prins, M.E. Epstein, P. Gentili-Poole, C. [18] Székely L., V. Dincă, C. Mihai, 2011, Cydalima Gielis, P. Hättenschwiler, A. Hausmann, J.D. Holloway, perspectalis (Walker, 1859), a new species for the A. Kallies, O. Karsholt, A.Y. Kawahara, J.C. Koster, M.V. Romanian fauna (Lepidoptera: Crambidae: Spilomelinae), Kozlov, J.D. Lafontaine, G. Lamas, J.-F. Landry, S. Lee, Bul.inf. Entomol., 22, 3-4, UBB Cluj, Presa Universitară M. Nuss, K.-T. Park, C. Penz, J. Rota, A. Schintlmeister, Clujeană, Cluj-Napoca, 73-76. ”This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which

permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.”

66