Stalking a non-native species on social media: Updating the distribution of Paysandisia archon (Burmeister, 1879) in Croatia through citizen science

Abstract

In Europe, the palm borer moth, Paysandisia archon (Burmeister, 1879) is a non-native species which was introduced in the early 2000s. Since then, the moth has rapidly spread across the Mediterranean parts of Europe and started causing damage to both native and non-native palm trees. The first record for Croatia dates to 2011 when the moth was recorded in Split and Zadar. Since then, the spread of the species has not been documented in the scientific literature but being an unusual and invasive species, its expansions was reported across a wide array of internet sources, including social media. To comprehensively understand the current distribution of P. archon in Croatia, we systematically compiled data from citizen science platforms, social media, websites, and both published and personal observations. Our findings reveal a total of 112 records spanning most of the Mediterranean parts of Croatia, indicating a rapid and expansive distribution of the species. The caterpillars of this species develop within palms causing them to rot and eventually dry which causes economic and aesthetic losses. Severe economic damage in the horticultural sectors has been previously reported in countries like France and Italy, while in the western Mediterranean, it poses a conservation threat to native palm populations. Further monitoring and damage assessments should be carried out to understand to the full the impact of this non-native species in Croatia.