Blastopsylla occidentalis, Leptocybe invasa and Ophelimus maskelli: three new pests of eucalyptus in Turkey
Since 2000, three new pests of eucalyptus trees have been found in Turkey.
Blastopsylla occidentalis (Homoptera: Psyllidae) was found for the first time in 2004, in the Tarsus-Karabucak eucalyptus forest in the province of Mersin (Mediterranean region). Surveys were carried out from 2004 to 2007 in the Mediterranean and Aegean costal regions. So far, B. occidentalis has only been found in the province of Mersin on Eucalyptus camaldulensis and E. grandis. This is the first report of B. occidentalis in Turkey. It can be recalled that B. occidentalis has also been found recently in Campania, Italy (EPPO RS 2006/187).
Leptocybe invasa (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae – EPPO Alert List) was first found in Turkey in 2000 causing leaf galls on E. camaldulensis. In Turkish conditions, L. invasa has two or three overlapping generations per year and mainly attacks E. camaldulensis and E. grandis. Nursery seedlings and young plantations are more severely affected than old plantations. The pest distribution was studied in detail from 2005 to 2006, and it was found that L. invasa is widespread in the Mediterranean and Aegean coastal regions of Turkey.
Ophelimus maskelli (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) was first found in 2004. It was found only on E. camaldulensis at several locations in the Mediterranean (Antalya, Adana, Mersin) and Aegean (Muğla) coastal regions. This is the first report of O. maskelli in Turkey.
Pictures of damage caused by O. maskelli have been kindly provided by Dr Aytar (TR) and can be viewed on the Internet: http://photos.eppo.org/index.php/album/54-ophelimus-maskelli
Sources
Aytar F (2007) Description, distribution and hosts of Blastopsylla occidentalis (Homoptera: Psyllidae), a new pest of Eucalyptus spp. in Turkey. Poster presented at the 2nd Plant Protection Congress of Turkey, Isparta (TR), 2007-08-27/29.
Aytar F (2006) Natural history, distribution and hosts of Eucalyptus gall wasps in Turkey. Poster presented at the VIIIth European Congress of Entomology, Izmir (TR), 2006-09-17/22. http://www.geocities.com/fatihaytar/publ/2006/L_invasa_and_O_maskelli.pdf
Personal communication with Dr Fatih Aytar, Forestry Research Institute, Tarsus-Mersin, Turkey (2007-08).