First report of Aleurocanthus spiniferus in Croatia
In May 2012, Aleurocanthus spiniferus (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae – EPPO A2 List) was observed for the first time in Croatia on ornamental potted orange seedlings (Citrus aurantium). The pest was detected during a regular phytosanitary inspection in one nursery of a garden centre located in Split. The owner had noticed signs of the infestation at the beginning of 2012, but the pest was misidentified as a scale insect. During the inspection, leaf samples were collected and A. spiniferus was identified on the basis of its morphological characteristics. The origin of this infestation is unknown but it is suspected that A. spiniferus was introduced into Croatia with infested plant material. The Croatian NPPO has ordered the destruction of infested orange seedlings to prevent any further spread. In addition, pest specific surveys will be conducted in Croatia, in particular in the citrus-growing area of the Neretva river valley.
The situation of Aleurocanthus spiniferus in Croatia can be described as follows: Transient, first found in 2012 in 1 garden centre in Split, under eradication.
Sources
Šimala M, Masten Milek T (2013) First record of the orange spiny whitefly, Aleurocanthus spiniferus Quaintance, 1903 (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), in Croatia. Poster presented at the Conference ‘Zbornik Predavanj in Referatov, 11. Slovenskega Posvetovanja o Varstvu Rastlin Z Mednarodno Udeležbo (Bled, SI, 2013-03-0/06) http://dvrs.bf.uni-lj.si/spvr/2013/60Simala.pdf