Abstract
In 2015, an invasive oak lace bug (Corythucha arcuata) (Say, 1832), a representative of the North American fauna of lace bugs (Heteroptera: Tingidae), was discovered in the Krasnodar Territory. The main harmfulness of oak lace bug lies in it sucking the cell juices from the leaves, as a result of which their chlorosis develops, which can be especially dangerous and serve as a cause of repression and death of oaks. To assess the foraging impact of oak lace nug, we analysed the pigment composition of English oak (Quercus robur L.) leaves before and after infestation. The optical density of the extracted pigments was measured on a spectrophotometer. The functional state of the photosynthetic apparatus was assessed using a portable chlorophyll fluorometer. As a result, a significant decrease in the content of the main photosynthetic pigment, chlorophyll, as well as carotenoids was found, which indicates the suppression of the plant’s nonspecific protective mechanism. In parallel, there occurs a decrease in the photosynthetic activity coefficient and the vitality level. However, these negative processes are at least partially offset by an increase in chlorophyll b, which prevents the inhibition of CO2 assimilation. Pest damage causes a significant decrease in leaf thickness, mainly due to a decrease in the biometric parameters of spongy and columnar parenchyma.
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