Abstract
In early April 2009, many specimens of Ambrosiodmus (Hopkins, 1915) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), a genus new to Europe, were found overwintering in a living horse chestnut tree (Aesculus hippocastanum L.) in the botanic garden of Padova (NE Italy) (45°23’ N, 11° 52’ E). In October 2009, about 80 peach trees growing in an orchard close to Verona (Alpo di Villafranca, NE Italy) (45°22’ N, 10° 55’ E) were found infested by the same insect. In both cases, the insects were infesting the tree sapwood infected by honey fungus (Armillaria mellea (Vahl) Kummer). Moreover, in the first week of October one specimen was collected also in a pheromone trap baited with ipsdienol and ipsenol and set up in the international harbour of Venice (Marghera, 45°27’ N, 12° 15’ E). Subsequent morphological analyses ascribed the collected specimens to the species A. rubricollis (Eichhoff, 1875), an ambrosia beetle of Asian origin. The infested trees were submitted to sanitation felling and burnt. Some infested log was placed in a transparent and ventilated plastic cage, kept under laboratory conditions (21±1 °C, 70% r.h., and L16:D8 photoperiod) waiting for insect emergence. Emerging adults were removed daily, identified and sexed by morphological features. The rearing gave several thousands of adults, with a female:male ratio of about 40:1.
References
Atkinson, T.H., Rabaglia, R.J. & Bright, D.E. (1990) Newly detected exotic species of Xyleborus (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) with a revised key to species in eastern North America. The Canadian Entomologist, 122, 93–104.
Bright, D.E (1968) Review of the tribe Xyleborini in America north of Mexico (Coleoptera: Scolytidae). The Canadian Entomologist, 100, 1288–1323.
Bright, D.E. & Skidmore, R.E. (1997) A Catalog of Scolytidae and Platypodidae (Coleoptera), Supplement 1 (1990–1994). NRC Research Press, Ottawa, 368 pp.
Faccoli, M. (2008) First record of Xyleborus atratus Eichhoff in Europe, with an illustrated key to European Xyleborini (Coleoptera Curculionidae Scolytinae). Zootaxa, 1772, 55–62.
Folmer, O., Black, M., Hoen, W., Lutz, R. & Vrijenhoek, R. (1994) DNA primers for amplification of mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase subunit I from diverse metozoan invertebrates. Molecular Marine Biology and Biotechnology, 3, 294-–299.
Herrera, V. (2005) Import Health Standard Commodity Sub-class: Fresh Fruit/Vegetables Cherries, Prunus avium from the United States of America – States of Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Issued pursuant to Section 22 of the Biosecurity Act 1993. New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, 04 July 2005, 22 pp. (www.biosecurity.govt.nz/imports/plants/index.htm).
Jordal, B.H., Beaver, R.A. & Kirkendall, L.R. (2001) Breaking taboos in the tropics: incest promotes colonization by wood-boring beetles. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 10, 345–357.
Kirkendall, L.R. & Jordal, B.H. (2006) The bark and ambrosia beetles (Curculionidae, Scolytinae) of Cocos Island, Costa Rica and the role of mating systems in island zoogeography. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 89, 729–743.
Kirkendall, L.R. (1983) The evolution of mating systems in bark and ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae and Platypodidae). Zoological Journal of the Linnaean Society, 77, 293–352.
Kirkendall, L.R., Dal Cortivo, M. & Gatti, E. (2008) First record of the ambrosia beetle, Monarthrum mali (Curculionidae, Scolytinae) in Europe. Journal of Pest Science, 80, 123–126.
Kirkendall, L.R. & Faccoli, M. (2009) Bark beetles and pinhole borers (Curculionidae: Scolytinae, Platypodinae) alien to Europe. Zookey, In press.
Knízek, M. (2007) Bark and ambrosia beetle species in worldwide trade. In: Evans, H. & Oszako, T. (Eds), Alien Invasive Species and International Trade. Forest Research Institute, Warsaw, 101–104.
Maiti, P.K. & Saha, N. (2004) Fauna of India and the Adjacent Countries. Scolytidae: Coleoptera (Bark- and Ambrosia-beetles), Vol. 1 (Part 1). Introduction and Tribe Xyleborini. Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, 268 pp.
Patwary, M.U., Kenchington, E.L., Bird, C.J. & Zouros, E. (1994) The use of random amplyfied polymorphic DNA markers in genetic studies of the sea scallop Plactopecten magellanicus (Gmellin, 1791). Journal of Shellfish Research, 13, 547-–553.
Rabaglia, R.J., Dole, S.A. & Cognato, A.I. (2006) Review of American Xyleborina (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) occurring north of Mexico, with an illustrated key. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 99, 1034–1056.
Ric, J., De Groot, P., Gasman, B., Orr, M., Doyle, J., Smith, M.T., Dumouchel, L., Scarr, T. & Turgeon, J.J. (2007) Detecting Signs and Symptoms of Asian Longhorned Beetle Injury: A Training Guide. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Her Majesty in Right of Canada, Ontario, 131 pp.
Wood, S.L. (1986) A reclassification of the genera of Scolytidae (Coleoptera). The Great Basin Naturalist Memoirs, 10, 126 pp.
Wood, S.L. & Bright, D.E. (1992) A catalog of Scolytidae and Platypodidae (Coleoptera), Part 2: Taxonomic index, volumes A and B. The Great Basin Naturalist Memoirs, 13, 1553 pp.