Scent of Jasmine Attracts Alien Invaders and Records on Citizen Science Platforms: Multiple Introductions of the Invasive Lacebug Corythauma ayyari (Drake, 1933) (Heteroptera: Tingidae) in Italy and the Mediterranean Basin

Abstract

The jasmine lacebug Corythauma ayyari is a pest of cultivated and ornamental plants mainly associated to Jasminum spp. This invasive insect is native to Asia, and it has been recently introduced in several countries, mainly within the Mediterranean basin. Here, we updated the known distribution of this species, including five new Italian regions (Liguria, Tuscany, Latium, Apulia, and Calabria); Salamis Island in Greece, and the Occitanie region in France. Citizen-science data have significantly contributed to the knowledge on species distribution, and the online platform for sharing biodiversity information can represent an effective tool for the early detection. Molecular analyses revealed that the specimens collected in Peninsular Italy and Sicily belong to a unique clade, suggesting the possibility of a single introduction, whereas those from Menton (France) and Calabria (Southern Italy) are separated from the others and probably originate from separated introductions.

New records of the red gum lerp psyllid Glycaspis brimblecombei Moore, 1964 (Hemiptera: Aphalaridae) in Italy including the first records for the Adriatic coast

“…Citizen-science records have significantly contributed to knowledge of the distribution and new arrivals of this alien insect, confirming that the citizen-science platforms represent an effective tool for the early detection of pest species (Mazza et al, 2020) and that this kind of data (i.e. observations based on photographs) are a reliable source of faunistic records.…”

Corythauma ayyari(Insecta, Heteroptera, Tingidae) depends on its host plant to invade Europe

“…ayyari. Thermophilic in nature, it survives, like most other Tingidae, at a temperature range of 15°C to about 40°C, with an optimal development and fecundity rate around 30°C [4,5,[33][34][35].…”

“…Therefore, their distribution highly depends on the distribution of the host plant. Two publications have already focused on the current distribution of C. ayyari at the level of the Mediterranean basin and specially in the Iberian Peninsula [2] and in Italy [4]. Therefore, it makes sense to reinforce them by focusing here on the invasive potential of the species.…”

“…This show the importance of integrate biotic variables such as host plants for phytophagous species in modelling.At the present day, the suitable area of C. ayyari in Europe does not fit with J. officinale distribution and is restricted to Mediterranean coasts, like J. grandiflorum. Harbours are the main entrance of the host plants, and then C. ayyari would have been introduced in Europe with its host plants[4]. It was recorded on J. grandiflorum in Spain and Syria; J. sambac and J.…”

Alientoma, a Dynamic Database for Alien Insects in Greece and Its Use by Citizen Scientists in Mapping Alien Species

“…Public participation in scientific research has gradually emerged as an impactful source of information, providing data that ultimately supplement our knowledge on the presence, distribution, abundance, behaviour and impacts of alien species around the world [32][33][34][35]. Citizen science records have aided efforts in unravelling the distribution of injurious invaders such as Chlorophorus annularis (Fabricius, 1787), damaging bamboo furniture [36], the jasmine pest Corythauma ayyari (Drake, 1933) [37], the invasive oak processionary moth Thaumetopoea processionea (Linnaeus, 1758) [38] and the marmorated stinkbug Halyomorpha halys (Stål, 1855) [39]. Although the validity and taxonomical accuracy of observational data alongside spatiotemporal biases in biodiversity monitoring by citizen scientists have been regarded as drawbacks of such approaches [40][41][42][43][44], citizen science has been proved to assist biosecurity surveillances by detecting alien insects inter alia [45].…”