Situation of Nysius huttoni in Belgium and first record in France
In 2002, the presence of Nysius huttoni (Heteroptera: Lygaeidae – EPPO Alert List) was observed for the first time in Belgium and the Netherlands. It is suspected that this polyphagous bug has been introduced from New Zealand via imports of apple and kiwi fruits. In Belgium, N. huttoni is now present across the entire region of Flanders (except Limburg), and it also occurs in the Walloon region (provinces of Hainaut and Brabant). In infested areas, no crop damage has been reported. The insect was mainly found in dry and sparsely vegetated habitats, and only 14% of these sites were located near agricultural fields. In addition to Belgium, the presence of N. huttoni is also reported from the Northern France. Several specimens were collected from Comines, Wervicq-Sud and Halluin (Nord département) in 2006.
Sources
Aukema B, Bruers JM, Viskens GM (2007) [New and rare Belgian bugs II (Hemiptera: Heteroptera)]. Bulletin de la Société royale belge d’Entomologie 143, 83–89 (in Dutch).
Bonte J, Casteels H, de Clercq P, Maes M (2009) Occurrence, ecology, impact and management of Nysius huttoni in Belgium (NYSHUT). Abstract of a paper presented at the 6th International Symposium on Crop Protection (Gent, BE, 2009-05-19).
Bonte J, Casteels H, Maes M, De Clercq P (2010) Occurrence, ecology and potential impact of the New Zealand wheat bug Nysius huttoni White (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) in Belgium. Bulletin OEPP/EPPO Bulletin (in press).