6533b7d9fe1ef96bd126d5a7
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Introduction into Italy of Gryon pennsylvanicum (Ashmead), an egg parasitoid of the alien invasive bug Leptoglossus occidentalis Heidemann
Leonardo MarianelliG. Sabbatini PeverieriVirgilio CalecaMatteo MaltesePio Federico RoversiAgostino StrangiL. MarzialiWard B. Strongsubject
biologybusiness.industryEcologyCoreidaeHeteropteraPest controlIntroduced speciesPlant ScienceHymenopteraLeptoglossusHorticulturebiology.organism_classificationParasitoidPlatygastridaebusinessAgronomy and Crop Sciencedescription
Leptoglossus occidentalis (Heteroptera, Coreidae), a Nearctic species, was accidentally introduced into Northern Italy in the late 1990s, from where it has spread throughout Europe. The bug causes abortion of immature cones of Pinus pinea L., with economic impact on the pine-nut industry. As part of a pest control research program, the egg parasitoid Gryon pennsylvanicum Ashmead (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae) was collected from British Columbia, Canada, and legally introduced to a quarantine climatic chamber in Florence, Italy. The egg parasitoid will be tested against native nontarget heteropterans, an environmental impact assessment will be conducted, and a mass rearing method will be developed if appropriate. The ultimate goal is to release G. pennsylvanicum into Italian P. pinea forests for classical biological control of L. occidentalis.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-03-15 | EPPO Bulletin |