1The South American tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is an 2 invasive Neotropical pest. After its first detection in Europe it rapidly invaded more than 30 3Western Palaearctic countries becoming a serious agricultural threat to tomato production in both

Climate change already challenges people’s livelihood globally and it also affects plant health. Rising temperatures facilitate the introduction and establishment of unwanted organisms, including arthropods, pathogens, and weeds (hereafter collectively called pests). For example, a single, unusually warm winter under temperate climatic conditions may be sufficient to assist the establishment of invasive plant pests, which otherwise would not be able to establish. In addition, the increased market globalization and related transport of recent years, coupled with increased temperatures, has led to favorable conditions for pest movement, invasion, and establishment worldwide. Most published studies indicate that, in general, pest risk will increase in agricultural ecosystems under climate-change scenarios, especially in today’s cooler arctic, boreal, temperate, and subtropical regions. This is also mostly true for forestry. Some pests have already expanded their host range or distribution, at least in part due to changes in climate. Examples of these pests, selected according to their relevance in different geographical areas, are summarized here. The main pathways used by them, directly and/or indirectly, are also discussed. Understanding these pathways can support decisions about mitigation and adaptation measures. The review concludes that preventive mitigation and adaptation measures, including biosecurity, are key to reducing the projected increases in pest risk in agriculture, horticulture, and forestry. Therefore, the sustainable management of pests is urgently needed. It requires holistic solutions, including effective phytosanitary regulations, globally coordinated diagnostic and surveillance systems, pest risk modeling and analysis, and preparedness for pro-active management.

Scientific review of the impact of climate change on plant pests -A global challenge to prevent and mitigate plant pest risks in agriculture, forestry and ecosystems. Rome. FAO on behalf of the IPPC Secretariat.

The cotton mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley 1898 (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), is recorded from Saudi Arabia for the first time. This species was collected from heavily infested Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. (Malvaceae) from the city of At-Taif in the southwestern part of the Arabian Peninsula. In addition, the mealybug Ferrisia virgata (Cockerell, 1893), previously recorded in Saudi Arabia, was found on Plumeria rubra L. (Apocynaceae) and on Dodonaea viscosa Jacq. (Sapindaceae). Slide mounts were prepared and voucher specimens were preserved at the University of Jordan Insects Museum. Further surveys should be initiated to investigate the distribution and hosts of P. solenopsis in Saudi Arabia.

Iraq is the birthplace of the date palm, and historically it was the domestication center of this crop. Moreover, for some years, Iraq was the largest producer of dates in the world. Many factors negatively have affected both the production and natural genetic diversity of the crop. However, efforts are being made by the Iraqi authorities and researchers alike to compensate for the serious damage the date palm sector has experienced over the past 30 years. New approaches have been introduced including biotechnology, grove management, pest control, and industrial practices. Production limitations have been diagnosed and constraints are on their way to be resolved. Date palm plantations are under stress from many biotic and abiotic factors including key insect pests like dubas bug, lesser date moth, trunk and stalk borers, and Old World date mite. Date palm diseases cause serious damages to date palm trees especially where stress factors are present such as palm weakness, soil salinity, high water table, borers, and tree aging. The use of plant tissue culture to support propagation by offshoots is necessary and started in the early 1980s. Both direct organogenesis and callus induction with subsequent asexual embryo formation protocols were achieved. Approximately, 600 date palm cultivars were grown in Iraq before 1980; however, currently their number is reduced to 500. Morphological