Abstract
After the first record in 2008 in Southeast Italy, the alien invasive and quarantine pest Aleurocanthus spiniferus (orange spiny whitefly—OSW) has gradually spread throughout Europe, infesting several new host plants in addition to the known hosts. Molecular characterization of some Italian populations and a newly found Albanian population highlighted two different haplotypes invading Europe, belonging to one of the haplogroups previously recorded in China. A predator was recorded for the first time in several fields in Italy in association with OSW and other whitefly species. It was successively identified through a morpho-molecular characterization as a Nearctic member of the tribe Serangiini, the ladybird beetle, Delphastus catalinae. This predator represents a promising biocontrol agent to manage A. spiniferus outbreaks in Italy and other invaded countries.
Highlights
In Europe, more than 14,000 alien species have been recorded [1], half of which have become invasive
The survey results indicated that in the new areas of colonization, A. spiniferus was recorded on the main elective hosts Citrus spp. and on the already known host plants, Ceratonia siliqua L., Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl., Hedera helix L., Morus alba L., Prunus armeniaca L., Punica granatum
Aleurocanthus spiniferus is still spreading in the Mediterranean Basin, invading new areas and infesting new host plants
Summary
In Europe, more than 14,000 alien species have been recorded [1], half of which have become invasive. Their number is continuously rising [2] with a simultaneous increase in their diffusion rate [3]. Due to habitat fragmentation creating abundant and diverse niches, Italy is one of the most welcoming territories in Europe for foreign species. Many invasive insect species have been recently reported from Italy [4,5,6,7,8]. Since its description [10], in the span of a century, OSW spread throughout Asia, Africa, Australia, and in the Pacific islands [11,12,13,14,15,16]. OSW was reported for the first time in the European and Mediterranean
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
