A story of becoming a horticultural threat, cypress jewel beetle Lamprodila festiva (Coleoptera, Buprestidae): analytical approach of its European escalation based on bibliographical sources

Abstract

The cypress jewel beetle, Lamprodila festiva, as one of the most destructive local invasive pests in Europe is currently an extreme threat to the coniferous Cupressaceae trees. The beetle spread at an unprecedented pace and intensity and poses a threat to many countries. Our study aimed to map the Palearctic distribution of L. festiva and measure the dispersal's pace and directions. Besides, one of our goals was visualising the adult’s seasonal activity and their host plant choice preference. A meta-analytical assessment was carried out to answer these questions based on the related bibliographical sources available in scientific databases. Our results confirmed that L. festiva has spread with extraordinary speed and success across the western Palaearctic areas, where the consequences of global warming have provided optimal conditions. The first population successful reproduction was started at five well-differentiated natural reserve areas across Europe in a latent manner. The flight season of L. festiva typically occurs from May to July, with the peaks varying depending on the area of distribution. Our studies have shown that L. festiva is a typical oligophagous pest, favouring certain species within its range of host plants. Thus, the genera Thuja, Platycladus and Juniperus species are most affected by its damage. Starting from its exceptional distribution characteristics, realising biological explanatory and applied protection research related to this species can become an urgent expectation in the future.