Situation of Paysandisia archon in Spain
In Spain, Paysandisia archon (Lepidoptera, Castniidae – EPPO Alert List ) was first reported at the beginning of 2001, in the province of Girona, Cataluña. It then expanded to several sites along the Mediterranean coast (from the province of Girona down to the province of Alicante) causing damage to various palm species. In Comunidad Valenciana, P. archon was found on 3 sites in the province of Castellón, on 2 sites in the province of Alicante and a few sites in the province of Valencia (in urban areas), damaging Phoenix canariensis, Chamaerops humilis, Trachycarpus fortunei and Washingtonia filifera. In this paper details are given about the biology of P. archon, its host plants and geographical distribution. In its area of origin, P. archon is reported in Argentina (north-west), Paraguay, Uruguay (west), and Brazil (south). Concerning host plants, it is noted that in France where the pest has also been introduced (in Var and Hérault departments), damage has been observed on the following palm species: Thritrinax campestris, Chamaerops humilis, Livistona chinensis, L. decipiens, L. saribus, Sabal, Phoenix canariensis, P. dactylifera, P. reclinata, Trachycarpus fortunei, and Washingtonia filifera.
Sources
Montagud Alario, S.; Rodrigo Coll, I. (2004) Paysandisia archon (Burmeister, 1880) (Lepidoptera, Castniidae): nueva plaga de palmáceas en expansión.
Phytoma España, no. 157, 40-53.