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Alien invasive species not only have adverse environmental impacts, they may also pose socioeconomic and human health threats. The increase in detected non-native (alien) and cryptogenic species, followed by the necessity for up-to-date scientific information on biological invasions, prompted a thorough literature investigation on the non-native en...
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... This is of specific interest because these species are efficient vectors for pathogens affecting the health and productivity of livestock. They deserve special attention in future surveys as potential invasive species (Keller et al., 2011;Demetriou et al., 2021). ...
The horse-fly fauna of the East Mediterranean is poorly known and, in some geographical areas, has not been studied for decades. The present study summarizes the results of tabanid collections performed over 30 years in the Greek islands (the Cyclades, Dodecanese, North Aegean and Crete) and Cyprus. In total, 18 species were known from the study territory. The present study reports an additional 10 species. Previously, only 1 horsefly species was known from the Dodecanese islands, 1 from the North Aegean islands, and 2 from the Cyclades. This study has raised the number of species to 6, 7, and 9, respectively. The combined taxa for the three island groups have increased from 4 to 17 species. Specifically, the number of species has increased from 3 to 7 in Crete and from 11 to 19 in Cyprus. Additionally, we report 1 new record from the Greek mainland, 1 from the Levantine region, 2 from Lebanon, and 2 from Israel. Four Afrotropical–Palearctic vector species: Atylotus agrestis (Wiedemann, 1828); Tabanus gratus Löw, 1858b; Tabanus sufis Jaennicke, 1867; and Tabanus taeniola Palisot de Beauvois, 1806; are recorded for the first time from Cyprus, and A. agrestis from southern Italy. Their status as invasive species in Europe is discussed, the four species are illustrated.
... Encyrtid wasps (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) are well-known for their use in biological control schemes, with hundreds of species being utilized against economically important pests, mainly scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea), while at least 11 genera are known as endoparasitoids or hyperparasitoids of psyllids (Japoshvili & Noyes, 2006;Jerinić-Prodanović et al., 2019). Up to date, the Encyrtidae fauna of Greece consists of 85 species (of which 15 are considered non-native), while that of Cyprus is limited to only 25 species (of which 13 are non-native) (Orphanides, 1988;Greathead & Greathead, 1992;Karaca et al., 2017;Noyes, 2019;Demetriou et al., 2021Demetriou et al., , 2023. Within Encyrtidae, species of the genus Psyllaephagus Ashmead are one of the most specialized groups of parasitic insects attacking psyllids. ...
The increasing translocation of people and goods has led to the introduction of species outside their native range. Amongst these “alien” or “non-native” species, a wide range of introduced trees have established in the Mediterranean, with their health, growth and/or value being negatively affected by insect pests. Encyrtidae are well-known for their use as biological control agents of scale insects and psyllids, with the latter groups including non-native pests of economic significance for introduced ornamental plants. Surveys in Greece and Cyprus unveil a total of 11 encyrtid wasps out of which three represent new records for Greece, i.e., Coccidoxenoides perminutus Girault, 1915, Cryptanusia aureiscutellum (Girault), and Isodromus ustianae Hoffer & Trjapitzin, 1967, and three for Cyprus, i.e., Isodromus luppovae Trjapitzin, Leptomastix gigantum Japoshvili, and Psyllaephagus macrohomotoma Singh & Agarwal, 1993. Psyllaephagus schauffi sp. nov. was collected from Greece and Cyprus, being described and illustrated as a new species to science. Additionally, Cacopsylla pulchella (Löw) is recorded as a new host for Prionomitus mitratus (Dalman), with the presence of the latter species in Greece being confirmed. The number of known encyrtid wasps for Greece and Cyprus are raised to 90 and 29, respectively, whereas further studies are necessary to assess the biodiversity of Encyrtidae distributed in both countries as well as the impacts of non-native species.
... Furthermore, Salata et al. (2019) questioned records of Anoplolepis gracilipes (Smith, 1857) (Radchenko 2007) and Pheidole megacephala (Fabricius, 1793) (Borowiec and Salata 2012). Later, Demetriou et al. (2021) revised the checklist of alien insects inhabiting Greece, listing a total of 15 ant species, strongly resembling that of Salata et al. (2019), although excluding Hypoponera eduardi (Forel, 1894) and adding Lasius neglectus van Loon, Boomsma &Andrásfalvy, 1990 (Salata andBorowiec 2019b). ...
Biological invasions represent one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss with adverse impacts on human societies, economies and public health. More than 500 ant species have been transported outside their native range with the help of humans, while the majority of them have managed to establish viable populations in the wild. Nevertheless, data from the Mediterranean region suggest that most alien ants occupy anthropogenic habitats with little spread in semi-natural and natural habitats. Research on biological invasions of ants in Greece had previously identified a total of 15 alien ant species. In this article, an extensive literature investigation and material examination provide a revised checklist of the alien myrmecofauna of Greece. Although the number of alien ant species remains the same, the checklist's composition is largely altered to provide an up-to-date overview of the country's alien myrmecofauna in order to enhance management decisions and future research. The presence and distribution of alien ants within Greek administrative divisions, NATURA 2000 sites and Corine Land Cover types are analysed and presented. In particular , the species richness of alien ants seems to be highest in the Aegean Archipelago (Crete and Southern Aegean Islands) probably due to uneven collecting efforts and increased climatic suitability. Alien ant species are mostly associated with anthropogenic habitats including urban and agricultural areas, although a significant percentage has managed to spread into forest and semi-natural areas, including protected NATURA 2000 sites. Future research directions enhancing the monitoring of alien ants and their impacts are indicated to safeguard native ant biodiversity and conservation efforts of rare and endemic taxa.
... Approximately 14,000 alien species have been identified in Europe, a large percentage of which accounts for insects (EASIN 2022). A total of 469 alien insect species have been identified in Greece, including ten species of the family Ptinidae (Demetriou et al. 2021). Among them, the subfamily Anobiinae is represented by three stored-product pests, namely: Lasioderma serricorne (Fabricius, 1792) (Levinson and Buchelos 1988;Buchelos and Athanassiou 1993), Stegobium paniceum (Linnaeus, 1758) (Buchelos and Athanassiou 1993) and Nicobium castaneum (Olivier 1790) (Denux and Zagatti 2010). ...
Ozognathus cornutus (LeConte, 1859), a species native to the Nearctic zoogeographical realm, has gradually spread throughout Europe and the Mediterranean region becoming alien. The species has been associated with at least 41 host-plant species and has been detected in both man-made and natural habitats. Nevertheless, no phytosanitary measures have been applied or adverse impacts on native biodiversity recorded. In this publication, O. cornutus is recorded in Greece from Rhodes Island, constituting the first record of this alien species to the country. In addition, examination of material from Cyprus and Greece unveils four new host-plants for the species, Asphodelus ramosus, Schinus terebinthifolia, Schinus molle and Vachellia farnessiana.
... Species of "cryptogenic" and "questionable" status were excluded. This treatment was recently applied in a similar publication for the alien insects of Greece (Demetriou et al. 2021). Species were assigned to broad trophic guilds covering phytophagous, detritivorous, parasitic and predatory insects . ...
... As is the case with Greece (Demetriou et al. 2021), Hemiptera are predominantly represented by scale insects (Coccoidea) (44%), followed by aphids (28%) and whiteflies (10%). The high numbers of alien Sternorrhyncha are strongly correlated to their unintentional transport as contaminants on infested plant material (Rabitsch 2010a), but also biological traits facilitating successful biological invasions, such as their minuscule body size, their ability to reproduce both through parthenogenesis and sexual reproduction, as well as their high fecundity (Coeur d'Acier et al. 2010;Pellizzari and Germain 2010). ...
... This may derive from increased imports from Asian countries, such as China, Israel and Turkey, although the island's largest trading partners correspond to European countries, predominantly Greece and Italy (Trend Economy 2021). Therefore, Greece and Italy may contribute to the introduction of alien species to Cyprus, hidden as stowaways in shipment or avian cargo (Inghilesi et al. 2013;Avtzis et al. 2017;Demetriou et al. 2021). ...
Alien insects represent one of the most species rich groups of organisms introduced to Europe, with some responsible for adverse social-economic, human-health, biodiversity and ecosystem impacts. The impacts of invasive alien species, especially on island ecosystems, have been a hot topic of research worldwide. Cy-prus is a Mediterranean island at the biogeographic crossroads of Asia, Africa and Europe. This study presents the database of the alien insects of the island of Cyprus as a whole, created through an extensive review including grey literature and online sources. The Alien to Cyprus Entomofauna (ACE) triples the known number of alien insects and adds supplemental information to existing species. Data concerning a total of 349 alien insects are presented alongside an updated checklist and recommendations for informing management. The status of alien insects on the island, their origin, trophic guilds, establishment, pathways of introduction and impacts are discussed. Developing an alien species inventory for the island is challenging due to its geographic position and the increasing movement of people and goods leading to new species introductions. This publication constitutes an important first step towards providing information for effective actions to tackle invasive alien insects on Cyprus. The checklist and accompanying information can underpin understanding of the status and trends of alien species including providing information for risk assessments. ACE will continue to be maintained and updated as new records for Cyprus are made.
... In Greece, a total of 469 alien insects have been identified thus far, including a large number of beetles associated with plant material and stored products (Demetriou et al. 2021). Among the comprehensive catalogue of alien insects of Greece, 10 weevil species of the family Curculionidae have been identified, while five of those belong to the subfamily Dryophthorinae. ...
A dead individual of Metamasius hemipterus (Linnaeus, 1758) was collected by a citizen scientist in Athens, Greece from a hand of imported bananas. The equatorial origin of the fruit as well as the extensive growth of a fungus on the specimen, both suggest an unintentional introduction as a contaminant. Nevertheless, this record highlights the valuable contribution of citizen scientists in the study of alien species. Although the species is not presently considered as established in the country, citizen-science initiatives in order to raise awareness and monitor its presence are ongoing.
... The alien insect fauna of Greece was first assessed by Avtzis et al. (2017) [31], compiling a checklist for 266 species alongside analyses of feeding behaviour, invaded habitats and origin. This endeavour was supplemented by Demetriou et al. (2021), raising the number of alien insects in the country to 469. Further increases in the number of alien insects in Greece were predicted, with new records of alien species being constantly discovered. ...
... The NATURA 2000 network covers 27.3% of the terrestrial area in the country(Spiliopoulou et al. 2021). There is a large number of non-native insects established in Greece(Anagnou-Veronikiet al. 2008;Avtzis et al. 2017;Demetriou et al. 2021) and monitoring the spread of these, particularly in protected sites, could underpin strategic action. Monitoring H. ...
Harmonia axyridis (Pallas, 1773), also known as the harlequin ladybird, is an invasive non-native species intentionally introduced to many countries as a biological control agent of agricultural pests. In Greece, H. axyridis was first introduced as a biological control agent in 1994, with releases taking place between 1994 and 2000. For many years there was no evidence to indicate that H. axyridis had established self-sustaining populations. In 2008, a citizen science campaign was initiated aimed at raising awareness regarding the invasive status of H. axyridis to farmers and agronomists. The campaign did not yield results, and it was discontinued in 2011. During this study, the distribution, phenology, and presence of H. axyridis in different habitat types and protected areas in Greece are investigated, using both citizen science data and literature records. Records from iΝaturalist, the Alientoma database and social media examined herein demonstrate that H. axyridis has been established in Greece since 2010. Harmonia axyridis is currently present in 13 administrative districts of Greece, most of them at a considerable distance from the initial release sites. The harlequin ladybird is present in urban and agricultural habitats as well as seventeen NATURA 2000 sites. The adverse socioeconomic and environmental impacts of H. axyridis are briefly discussed alongside suggestions for management activities. Based on our findings, we propose the establishment of a national monitoring scheme for H. axyridis and native ladybirds that will also encourage public participation in recording ladybird observations and provide information on the distribution, spread and impact of this invasive non-native species.
... The tiger longicorn beetle, Xylotrechus chinensis (Chevrolat) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is an invasive wood-boring insect pest of economic importance, which mainly infests the mulberry trees (Morus spp.) [1,2]. It is endemic to China, Japan, South Korea, and the Republic of China [3][4][5], while it has spread exclusively on Europe's mulberry trees [1,2,6,7]. However, the Asian populations of this species have been reported to in-active ingredients (a.i.) against X. chinensis through the trunk injection method over a period of two years. ...
Xylotrechus chinensis (Chevrolat) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is a serious wood-boring insect of mulberry trees (Morus spp.). Larvae of this species enter the trunk of the tree and feed on woody tissues. Xylotrechus chinensis is endemic in several Asian countries, while, in the last decade, it invaded Europe. In the present work, we evaluated trunk injection against this pest. The systemic insecticides fipronil, imidacloprid, and spirotetramat were used in the trials. Abamectin was used as a positive control since it has been found to be effective for the management of X. chinensis. Imidacloprid and fipronil proved to be highly effective against this species in both years (9.5 and 12.1 exit holes/tree in 2021, 5.0 and 8.8 exit holes/tree in 2022, respectively), while spirotetramat was the least effective. The lowest mean number of exit holes was recorded when abamectin was applied in both years (4.7 exit holes/tree in 2021 and 3.3 exit holes/tree in 2022). The percentage of exit holes was reduced by 76.1, 71.8, and 85.6% in trees treated with imidacloprid, fipronil, and abamectin, respectively, after two years of application, while spirotetramat caused a 37.4% reduction. Trunk injection with imidacloprid, fipronil, and abamectin could be used against X. chinensis for long-term control of mulberry trees.
... Also the nitidulid E. luteolus was collected on the tiny, uninhabited islet Strombolicchio in 1999, thus only one year after its first record for Sicily (in 1998: see Audisio & De Biase, 2005;. The amount of exotic species recently detected suggests an increasing trend and confirms as islands are extremely exposed to biological invasion and colonization from alien beetles, a phenomenon now widely documented both at Mediterranean (see Mifsud & Cutajar, 2017;Toma et al., 2017;Leza et al., 2020;Demetriou et al., 2021;Hadjiconstantis & Zoumides, 2021) and at global level (see Hänel & Jäch, 2013;Bella & Aguiar, 2020;Gillet et al., 2020;Romanowski et al., 2020;Hullé & Vernon, 2021). Alien species pose a threat not only to local biodiversity, but also to traditional rural activitiesfor instance, the potential of damage expected by the fig pest Aclees taiwanensis -and therefore require urgent prevention and monitoring measures, which however do not seem easy to implement in the continuing absence of an effective and sustainable management of these islands. ...
This paper provides a faunal inventory of the Coleoptera of the Aeolian Islands, including both the list of 669 species so far recorded and its update with 192 new records for the archipelago. Sericoderus brevicornis Matthews, 1890 (Corylophidae) is new for Italy; for Anthicus crinitus La Ferté-Sénectère, 1849 (Anthicidae) the second record in Italy is given; Pangus scaritides (Sturm, 1818), Tachyura curvimana (Wollaston, 1854) (Carabidae), Arthrolips convexiuscula (Motschulsky, 1849) (Corylophidae), Dignomus irroratus (Kiesenwetter, 1851) (Ptinidae), Megaloscapa punctipennis (Kraatz, 1856) (Staphylinidae), Aclees taiwanensis Kôno, 1933, Cryphalus numidicus Eichhoff, 1878 and Hypothenemus leprieuri (Perris, 1866)
(Curculionidae) are new for Sicily; Migneauxia crassiuscula (Aubé, 1850) (Latridiidae) and Phloeotribus cristatus (Fauvel, 1889) (Curculionidae) are confirmed for this region. For 193 species new distributional data are also given; among these latter, some concern the narrow endemics Firminus massai Arnone, Lo Cascio et Grita, 2014 (Scarabaeidae), Catomus aeolicus Ponel, Lo Cascio et Soldati, 2020, Leptoderis zelmerloewae Ferrer, 2015, Nalassus pastai
Aliquò, Leo et Lo Cascio, 2006 (Tenebrionidae) and Pseudomeira aeolica Bellò, Pesarini et Pierotti, 1997 (Curculionidae). The inventory highlights an increasing abundance of alien species, some of which have only recently been reported at national or regional scale, that
evidently spread rapidly even in isolated environments such as an archipelago. Some biogeographical considerations on the beetle fauna of these islands are given in the discussion
