First records of the ambrosia beetles Anisandrus maiche and Cnestus mutilatus in Italy
In the framework of a citizen science project, a monitoring programme for ambrosia beetles was carried out in spring 2021 and traps were installed in high schools throughout the Veneto region. On 9 June 2021, 2 females of Cnestus mutilatus and one of Anisandrus maiche (both Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae, regulated by the EU as ‘non-European Scolytinae’) were caught. The authors noted that regular monitoring of ambrosia beetles is conducted in Veneto and that these species had not been detected before. This strongly suggest that both species are of recent introduction. During the survey, no symptoms or evident damage were observed on the potential host plants located around the traps where the specimens were found.
C. mutilatus is native to Asia. It was first reported in from the USA in 2002 in Mississippi (EPPO RS 2005/180) and then spread to 17 states in Eastern USA. The species mainly attacked stressed trees but it was also found in tree nurseries. This record is the first record for the western part of the EPPO region: it had been first reported in 2017 from the Russian Far East. A map of current geographical distribution is available in the EPPO Global Database: https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/XYLSMU/distribution.
A. maiche is native to Asia (including the Russian Far East). It was trapped in 2005 in Pennsylvania (USA) and later in other states in North-Eastern USA. It had already been found in the EPPO region: in Ukraine in 2007 (EPPO RS 2013/030) and later in European Russia. However it seems that this species mainly attacks stressed trees. A map of current geographical distribution is available in the EPPO Global Database: https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/ANIDMA/distribution.
The situation of Cnestus mutilatus in Italy can be described as: Present: at low prevalence.
The situation of Anisandrus maiche in Italy can be described as: Present: at low prevalence.
Sources
Colombari F, Martinez‐Sañudo I, Battisti A (2022) First report of the alien ambrosia beetle Cnestus mutilatus and further finding of Anisandrus maiche in the European part of the EPPO region (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae: Xyleborini). EPPO Bulletin. Early view. https://doi.org/10.1111/epp.12840
EPPO (2020) EPPO Technical Document No. 1081, EPPO Study on the risk of bark and ambrosia beetles associated with imported non-coniferous wood. EPPO, Paris. Available at https://www.eppo.int/RESOURCES/eppo_publications