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The fungus Macrophomina phaseolina distributed especially in warmer region of Europe is reported for the first time from the Slovakia as a pathogen of sunflower. Morphology of its populations is characterized.

Tóthová M., Bokor P., Cagáň Ľ. (2015): The first detection of leafhopper Scaphoideus titanus Ball (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae) in Slovakia. Plant Protect. Sci., 51: 88-93.Scaphoideus titanus Ball, the main vector of Flavescence dorée phytoplasma, was monitored in Slovakia during 2013 and 2014. The species was present in the vineyards of eastern Slovakia but it was rarely found in the south of central part of the country. It was also found at many locations of western Slovakia but not in the southeast of western Slovakia. Higher abundance of S. titanus was detected in the vineyards with biological control. Varietal preference of the leafhopper was not confirmed. The first nymphs were found on June 5 and the last nymphs on July 17, adults occurred from the end of June to the end of September. There is one generation of S. titanus per year in Slovakia.

Eriborus terebrans (Gravenhorst), the parasitoid of the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis Hbn., was studied at four locations in central Europe during 1993–1995. Regular parasitism of O. nubilalis was found only at Blatnice in Moravia (eastern part of Czech Republic). At this location, the parasitism was 2.22% in 1993, 0.47% in 1994 and 0.06% in 1995. In 1994 and 1995, low parasitism (0.56 and 0.12% ,respectively) was found at Kráľovský Chlmec (eastern Slovakia). The records are the first from Czech Republic and Slovakia. The parasitoid was not found at Nitra (south-western Slovakia) and Wroclaw (south-western Poland). The first cocoons of E. terebrans developed in the first half of June. Parasitoid adults emerged from mid June to mid July. Results showed complete coincidence between bionomics of E. terebrans and bionomics of its host O. nubilalis.

Maize pests like Ostrinia nubilalis and Diabrotica virgifera virgifera are eradicated using genetically modified maize. This study’s goal was to see if the genetically modified maize MON810 is also toxic to thrips communities on maize. The impact of Bt maize on thrips diversity and abundance, as well as yield losses, was studied in the field in Borovce for three years (Slovakia). The study used 10 Bt and 10 non-Bt maize cultivars. Thrips were monitored every two weeks during the season using transparent sticky traps installed on the experimental plots (one per plot, 20 per year). In total, 3426 thrips were caught. Thrips populations usually peak around the end of July at BBCH55. Among the species identified were Limothrips denticornis, Limothrips cerealium, Haplothrips aculeatus, Frankliniella schultzei, Frankliniella occidentalis, Thrips tabaci, Aeolothrips fasciatus, Frankliniella tenuicornis, and Chirothrips spp. We found that MON810 maize had no effect on the occurrence or composition of thrips. Their presence was affected by the maize growth phase and growing seasons and partially by the weather. The direct effect on the grain yield was not confirmed. Our research contributed to scientific knowledge of thrips communities found on maize plants in Central Europe, including Bt maize.