Factors affecting the reproduction and mass-rearing of sclerodermus brevicornis (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae), a natural enemy of exotic flat-faced longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae)

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Many species of long-horned beetles are invasive pests causing significant economic damage in agro-forestry systems. They spend the majority of their life-cycle concealed inside natural wood or wooden packaging materials and are largely protected from adverse environmental conditions and pesticide sprays. Biological control via parasitoid natural enemies including members of the bethylid genus Sclerodermus, has proven effective against some long-horned beetles that are invasive in China. In Europe, the biocontrol potential of native Sclerodermus species is being evaluated with a view to developing efficient mass-rearing techniques and then actively deploying them against invasive Asian beetles. Here, we continue evaluations of S. brevicornis by establishing that groups of females that have already reared offspring to emergence are capable of reproducing subsequent hosts and by evaluating the lifetime reproductive capacity of individual females provided with successive hosts. Additionally, we assess the laboratory shelf-life of adult females stored for different times at different temperatures including cold storage, and then assess the post-storage reproductive performance of groups of females provided with a single host. We found that adult female longevity declines with increasing storage temperature and that most aspects of subsequent performance are negatively affected by high temperatures. The adaptability to low temperature storage enhances the suitability of S. brevicornis to mass-rearing programs and thus biocontrol deployment

Exploring the range expansion of the yellow‐spotted longhorn beetle Psacothea hilaris hilaris in northern Italy

1. Psacothea hilaris hilaris is an exotic cerambycid detected in Lombardy (northern Italy) in 2005 and now established and undergoing an expansion phase. The species constitutes a serious pest for Ficus spp. and Morus spp. 2. The aim of this work is to update the distribution area of the species in Italy, inves- tigating its expansion over 16 years. Data were acquired through the authors’ direct field records and community science, by data mining on national and international web platforms and social networks. Reports were analysed and GPS points plotted in ArcMap 10.8.1 to obtain distribution maps. 3. Of the records collected, 34% were acquired during field surveys, 22% via e-mail and 44% through on-line forums and social networks. 4. AdultsofP.h.hilarisshowedalongperiodofactivity,fromApriltothebeginningof December, with a peak of presence from June to September. The presence of the pest has been ascertained over six provinces in Lombardy covering an area esti- mated at more than 1750 km2 in 2021. New detections occurred within 2 km of a known infestation from the previous year in 41.6% of cases, and between 2 and 4 km away in 37.7% of cases. The mean rate of range expansion estimated from reported records was 3.17 ± 0.33 km/year from 2010 to 2021. After an initial phase of settlement, the insect is now spreading southward. 5. Giventherelevantphytosanitaryinterestthatthespeciesmayhaveforfigplantsin Italy and in the Mediterranean Basin, it is fundamental to deepen the knowledge about its flight biology, dynamics and active dispersal capabilities in order to esti- mate the future range expansion