First report of Trachymela sloanei in Spain
Native to Southeastern Australia, Trachymela sloanei (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae - Australian tortoise beetle) has been introduced into New Zealand and California (US), and more recently into Southern Spain. T. sloanei feeds on numerous species of eucalyptus, with a preference for Eucalyptus camaldulensis. Both adults and larvae are voracious leaf feeders but the consequences on tree growth and the economic impact remain to be clarified. In New Zealand, T. sloanei was first detected in 1976 in Auckland and is now found throughout most of the North Island and in some parts of the South Island (Marlborough Sounds, Marlborough and Mid Canterbury). In California, it was discovered in 1998 in Riverside county and is now widespread in Southern California. In Spain, the first specimens of T. sloanei were collected in 2014 in Jerez de la Frontera (province of Cádiz, Andalucía) under the bark of a large eucalyptus tree. In 2015, further specimens were collected in other localities of the province of Cádiz on E. camaldulensis. This is the first time that T. sloanei is reported from the EPPO region.
Sources
Bain J (2009) New records. Forest Health News no. 194. https://www.scionresearch.com/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/3897/fhnewsNo194-April09.pdf
INTERNET
- Farm Forestry New Zealand. Trachymela sloanei. http://www.nzffa.org.nz/farm-forestry-model/the-essentials/forest-health-pests-and-diseases/Pests/trachymela-sloanei/
- Forest and timber insects in New Zealand no. 10. Eucalyptus tortoise beetle. https://www.scionresearch.com/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/3939/Ent10Paropsischarybdis.pdf
Riley EG, Clark CM, Gilbert AJ (2001) New records, nomenclatural changes, and taxonomic notes for select North American leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Insecta Mundi. Paper 176. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/insectamundi/176
Sánchez I, Amarillo JM, Molina D (2015) [First records of Trachymela sloanei (Blackburn, 1897) (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) in Europe]. Revista gaditana de Entomología VI(1), 127-130.