© Benaki Phytopathological Institute
First record of
Cydalima perspectalis
in Greece
67
map of Figure 2. All specimens recorded had
the white colour form. The aforementioned
citizens contacted the first two authors re-
questing species identification and provid-
ed us their data, thus we include their obser-
vations in this short communication, having
their written permission.
Heavy infestation by larvae of
C. perspec-
talis
was observed on plants of
Buxus semper-
virens
grown as a tree and in border shrubs
at Benaki Phytopathological Institute and
several private and public gardens and parks
in Kifissia, Athens, in mid April 2015 (Figures
3, 4). The plants had a dry appearance and
were covered by dense webs (Figure 3). This
is the first report of
C. perspectalis
as a pest in
Greece with evidence of its consequent in-
festation. Samples of infested shoots were
transferred to Benaki Phytopathological In-
stitute and kept in cages (30 x 30 cm) at 25
o
C, 16:8 L:D h until pupation of the larvae. Pu-
pae were collected and placed in plastic con-
tainers until adult emergence (Figure 5). For-
ty one adults emerged; thirty five presented
the white colour form and six of them the
brown colour form (Figures 1, 6).
The box tree moth is native to subtropi-
cal regions of eastern Asia (India, China, Ko-
rea, Japan and the Russian Far East) (Walker,
1859; Hampson, 1896; Inoue,
1982; Kirpich-
nikova, 2005; Park, 2008; Leraut, 2012). It was
introduced in Europe and was recorded for
the first time in south-western Germany in
2006 (Krüger, 2008). It spread rapidly across
Europe and it is now present in the Nether-
lands (Muus
et al.,
2009), Switzerland (Käp-
peli, 2008; Sigg, 2009), France (Feldtrau-
er
et al.,
2009), Austria and Liechtenstein
(Rodeland, 2009), United Kingdom (Mitchell,
2009), Belgium (Casteels
et al.,
2011), Hunga-
ry (Sáfián and Horváth, 2011), Czech Repub-
lic ( umpich, 2011), Romania (Székely
et al
.,
2011), Italy (Griffo
et al.
, 2012; Tantardini
et al.
,
2012), Slovenia (Seljak, 2012), Turkey (Hizal
et al
., 2012), Croatia (Koren and Črne, 2012),
Slovakia (Pastorális
et al
., 2013), Denmark
(Hobern, 2013), Chechen Republic (Russia)
(Proklov and Karayeva, 2013), Spain (
Pérez-
Otero
et al.
, 2014; Pino Perez and Pino Perez,
2014) and
Bulgaria (Beshkov
et al
., 2015). This
is the first record of the pest in Greece.
The main host plants of
C. perspectalis
are
Buxus
species (common names box tree,
box, boxwood)
,
including
B. sempervirens
L.,
B. microphylla
Siebold & Zucc.,
B.
sinica
(Reh-
der and Wils.) M. Cheng and
B. colchica
Pojark
(Buxaceae). In its origin countries, the pest
has also been reported on
Euonymus japoni-
cus
Thunb.,
E. alatus
(Thunb.) Siebold (Celas-
traceae),
Ilex purpurea
Hassk. (Aquifoliaceae),
Pachysandra terminalis
Siebold & Zucc. and
Murraya paniculata
(L.) Jack (Rutaceae), but
there are no reports of these plant species
being attacked in Europe (Wang, 2008; Hizal
et al
., 2012; Bella, 2013; Plantwise Knowledge
Bank, 2015). Box trees are evergreen shrubs
and small trees.
Buxus sempervirens
lives in
Figure 1.
Specimen of
Cydalima perspectalis
from Ano Lecho-
nia, Pelion mountain: adult of white colour form (Photograph
by C. Kazilas).
Figure 2.
Locations of the first records of
Cydalima perspec-
talis
in Greece: A) Drama, B) Katerini, C) Kalamaria, Thessal-
oniki, D) Kifissia, Attica, IS) Thessaloniki and CK) Ano Lecho-
nia, Pelion mountain.
