Short communications
Detection of Leptoglossus occidentalis Heidemann, 1910 (Heteroptera: Coreidae) in Tunisia 1 1,2 3 3 M.L. Ben Jamâa , M. Mejri , P. Naves * & E. Sousa 1
Laboratory of Management and Enhancement of Forest Resources, National Institute of Research in Rural Engineering, Water and Forestry, B.P. 10, 2080, Araina, Tunisia 2 National Agronomic Institute of Tunis, 43 Charles Nicolle Street, 1082 Tunis-Mahrajène, Tunisia 3 Instituto Nacional dos Recursos Biológicos (National Institute for Biological Resources), I.P., Unidade de Silvicultura e Produtos Florestais Quinta do Marquês, 2780 - 159 Oeiras, Portugal
Tunisia is situated on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa, midway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Nile Delta. It is bordered by Algeria on the west and Libya on the south east. It lies between latitudes 30° and 38°N and longitudes 7° and 12°E (METM 2001). Tunisia occupies an area of 164 000 km2 of which 678 981 ha are covered by forest, mainly in the north and the centre (FGD 2010). Along with cork oak (Quercus suber L.), pines are the most important native tree species. In Tunisia, three main pines species are distinguished: Pinus halepensis Miller (364 357 ha; 53 % of the forested area), Pinus pinea L. (20 933 ha; 3.08 %) and Pinus pinaster (5277 ha; 0.78 %). These species are planted mainly for reforestation and wood production (Dahmane 1986), but also to sustain coastal dunes, prevent erosion, promote grazing, combat desertification and to gather the edible seeds (Chakroun 1986; FGD 2010). The western conifer seed bug Leptoglossus occidentalis Heidemann, 1910 (Heteroptera: Coreidae) is native to North America, and was accidentally introduced into Europe in 1999 (Taylor et al. 2001; Villa et al. 2001), colonizing practically the entire continent within a decade (see Rabitsch 2008 and EPPO 2010 for reviews). It can now be found from Portugal in the west (Sousa & Naves 2011) to Norway in the north (Mjøs et al. 2010) and Turkey in the east (Arslangundogdu & Hizal 2010), although this widespread distribution may also derive from multiple introductions into Europe. In recent years it has also been introduced into Eastern Asia, namely in Japan (Ishikawa & Kikuhara 2009). *Author for correspondence. E-mail:
[email protected]
This Heteropteran is considered a pest of conifer seed nurseries in North America, as it destroys the seeds of over 40 species of conifers, mainly of the genus Pinus L. (Reid et al. 2009; Mitchell 2000). In Europe there are few reports of its damage to native pines, although according to Roversi (2009) the production of pine nuts has decreased rapidly in several locations, and in central Italy over 60 % of one-year-old and 80 % of two-year-old cones were compromised by this exotic bug (Roversi et al. 2011). In this paper we report the collection of L. occidentalis from a new location in a pine forest in northern Tunisia, this being the first record for the country and the entire African continent. A single adult L. occidentalis was hand-collected from the bark of an adult P. pinea tree in Dar Fatma Pine forest on 22 September 2011. One year after, one nymph (fifth instar) was also hand-collected from the branches of a P. halepensis tree in Sidi Bader Pine forest, on 4 September 2012. Both locations are in northwestern Tunisia. The specimens were taken to the INRGREF laboratories in Tunis and were identified with the keys of Gibson (1917) and McPherson et al. (1990). Among the distinctive morphological features is the inverted white zigzag mark across the centre of the forewing, the leaflike expansions on the hind tibias, the reddish-brown to grey-brown coloration and a length of approximately 20 mm. The insects were confirmed to be Leptoglossus occidentalis Heidemann, 1910. Material examined. Dar Fatma (Ain Drahem), 36°49’N 08°46’E, 22 September 2011, one adult male, from an adult P. pinea tree. Sidi Bader (Tabarka ), 36°56’N 08°48’E 4 September 2012, one nymph African Entomology 21(1): 165–167 (2013)
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(fifth instar), from a P. halepensis tree. Material is deposited in the entomological collection of the INRGREF laboratories in Ariana, Tunis, Tunisia. After colonizing the European continent and Eastern Asia, L. occidentalis has now been found in northern Africa, in what is the first record for this continent. In this genus, only the Passion-vine bug Leptoglossus gonagra (Fabricius) had previously been reported from tropical Africa (Allen 1969; Brailovsky & Barrera 1998), although this widespread species can be distinguished from L. occidentalis by the coloration of the last three antennal segments and other distinctive morphological characters (McPherson et al. 1990). Although only two insects were collected, their fortuitous detection in two fairly large pine forests suggests that the bug is already established in northwestern Tunisia, and the collection of a nymph in 2012 suggests that the introduced population may be breeding. Further captures are needed to confirm this assumption and to evaluate the size of the invading populations. The introduction pathway is unknown, although both Dar Fatma and Sidi Bader are located near the
city of Tabarka, where there is an international airport and a maritime port. In Europe, there are reports of introductions of L. occidentalis near maritime ports with significant commercial activity (Dusoulier et al. 2007), as this species is easily moved as eggs, nymphs or adults with the international trade of conifer plants and wood materials. Both locations are only a few kilometres from the Algerian border and the neighbouring cities of Annaba and Constantine, with their maritime ports and airports. Nevertheless, the presence of this insect in Algeria, although possible, needs to be confirmed. A national survey programme to confirm if the insect is firmly established in Tunisia is being prepared, focusing on the locations where it has been detected. Subsequent studies should evaluate the impact of this alien heteropteran on P. pinea and P. halepensis cone and seed production, as these pines are locally valued for their edible seeds and are frequently planted in semi-arid locations in central and southern Tunisia, with the objective of preventing soil erosion and combating desertification.
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