© Benaki Phytopathological Institute
First record of
Cydalima perspectalis
in Greece
69
cies among European Crambidae (
Székely
et al.,
2011)
. Two colour forms of adults have
been described, the white one, which is the
most common, and the melanic one, be-
ing less common. In the white form, adults
have white, slightly iridescent wings with a
large dark brown band at the margin and
a characteristic white spot in the discoidal
cell only in the forewings (Mally and Nuss,
2010). In the melanic form, the wings are
completely brown with the exception of a
white discoidal spot on the forewings (Fig-
ure 6). Eggs are laid in clusters of 5-20 on
the underside of the leaves (Leuthardt and
Baur, 2013); they are pale yellow when laid
and black heads of the larvae are visible be-
fore hatching. The late instar larvae have a
shiny black head and they are light green
with two longitudinal black thick stripes and
white dots in between at the lateral part of
the body; they also have black dots outlined
in white on the dorsal side of the body; in
the last larval stage they can reach a length
of up to 4 cm (Székely
et al.,
2011; Bella, 2013).
The pupae are 1.5-2.0 cm long and they are
concealed in a cocoon of white silk spun
among the leaves and twigs. They are initial-
ly green with dark stripes on the dorsal sur-
face and towards the end of pupation they
turn brown with a dark pattern correspond-
ing to the brown wing borders of the adult
(Korycinska and Eyre, 2009).
The pest is reported to have 2-3 gener-
ations in Central Europe (Korycinska and
Eyre, 2009; Leuthardt
et al
., 2010; Sage and
Karl, 2010) and is capable of hibernating and
spreading naturally across the continent
(Krüger, 2008; Feldtrauer
et al
., 2009; Muus
et al.,
2009; Sigg, 2009).
Infestation symptoms include feeding
damage on the leaves of the shoot edges by
the larvae, which can leave only leaf skele-
tons and the epidermis behind them. Larvae
can also attack the bark (Leuthardt and Baur,
2013). Other associated symptoms are web-
bing of the branches, frass and residues of
moulting such as black capsules of different
sizes. Heavy infestation leads to dry plants
and their defoliation, which combined with
the subsequent attack of the bark results in
the death of the plant. Box trees with a low
level of damage are often able to recover
if they do not suffer from renewed attacks.
However, severely damaged boxes in an area
where
C. perspectalis
has established are less
likely to survive. This also applies to natural-
ly occurring boxes in the understories of for-
ests in the invaded range of
C. perspectalis
(Plantwise Knowledge Bank, 2015).
The species either has actively dispersed
in Greece from neighbour countries (e.g. Tur-
key), where its presence is already confirmed,
or it has been passively introduced
via
one or
more relatively recent commercial importa-
tions of plants of
Buxus
sp. infested with the
moth’s
eggs or larvae. It has been assumed
that the species is capable of spreading
across Europe in both ways (Käppeli, 2008;
Krüger, 2008; Feldtrauer
et al.,
2009; Muus
et al
. 2009; Sigg, 2009). Introduction seems
more likely to have taken place
via
plant im-
portations. However, one cannot yet exclude
an active dispersal or a combination of both
ways mentioned. Further investigation is
needed to determine the origin of each dif-
ferent Greek population.
Figure 5.
Pupae of
Cydalima perspectalis
.
Figure 6.
Adult of
Cydalima perspectalis
: melanic (brown) col-
our form.
