engleski

Box Tree Moth (Cydalima perspectalis) biology and influence of different food type on developmental characteristics

Box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis) is an alien invasive species that has been recorded in Croatia for the first time in 2013 and since then it has rapidly spread across the whole country. Substantial damage to box tree plants have been recorded in many urban areas, especially in private gardens and other green areas located in the cities. Biology and influence of different food type on developmental characteristics will be presented here. Pheromone baited traps were used for the insight into the number of generations, while food choice experiment was conducted in the laboratory where we have compared three ornamental plant species (Euonymus japonicus, Ilex aquifolium and Ligustrum vulgare) with Buxus sempervirens. The food choice experiment showed that the box tree moth is able to complete its development only on B. sempervirens, while number of generations is still not confirmed since we had problems with pheromons that we have used in the experiment. Since outbreaks of this alien invasive species continue to appear in Croatia we have also made some preliminary insight into complex of parasitoids which revealed that native parasitoids have not yet switched to box tree moth. This research confirmed that the main pathway of alien invasive species introduction are live plants trade and that this commercial activity is a serious threath to indigenous plants and ecosystems.

invasive species ; Buxus sempervirens ; food choice test ; pheromone traps ; ornamental plant species

nije evidentirano