Phyllonorycter robiniella Clemens a New Insect Pest in Croatia
Milan MACELJSKI, Aleksandar MEŠIĆ
Pages: 225-230
Summary
The black locust tree (Robinia pseudoacacia) is a common tree in Croatia. Its provenience is North America. The fast increase of the airborne traffic in the last decades of the 20th century made possible the introduction of some autochthonous insect pests of this trees from America to Europe. The aphid Appendiseta robiniella was found in Europe in 1978, in 1984 in Croatia and the miner Parectopa robiniella was discovered in Europe in 1970 and in Croatia in 1983.
During the year 2001 we discovered the third insect pest of the black locust tree in Croatia - the miner Phyllonorycter robiniella. This insect was firstly discovered in Europe in 1983. Phyllonorycter robiniella is causing specific leaf mines on the leaf underside. These mines are oval shaped and silver coloured. In average they cover 1.4 cm2. They are easy distinguished from the mines caused by Parectopa robiniella: the mines of Phyllonorycter are on the leaf underside and are oval shaped and the mines caused by the last four instars of the Parectopa larvae are on the leaf upperside and are ramified. The moth overwinter. The first mines appear in June. The miner has 4 - 5 generations. The intensity of attack is fastly increasing during the year. It is expected that both moths could make substantial damage by affecting the growth especially of young trees, causing defoliation and a poor flowering, therefore negatively influencing the aesthetic role of these trees and the beekeepers.
During the year 2001 we discovered the third insect pest of the black locust tree in Croatia - the miner Phyllonorycter robiniella. This insect was firstly discovered in Europe in 1983. Phyllonorycter robiniella is causing specific leaf mines on the leaf underside. These mines are oval shaped and silver coloured. In average they cover 1.4 cm2. They are easy distinguished from the mines caused by Parectopa robiniella: the mines of Phyllonorycter are on the leaf underside and are oval shaped and the mines caused by the last four instars of the Parectopa larvae are on the leaf upperside and are ramified. The moth overwinter. The first mines appear in June. The miner has 4 - 5 generations. The intensity of attack is fastly increasing during the year. It is expected that both moths could make substantial damage by affecting the growth especially of young trees, causing defoliation and a poor flowering, therefore negatively influencing the aesthetic role of these trees and the beekeepers.
Keywords
black locust tree; Phyllonorycter robiniella
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