Xylosandrus compactus occurs in Lazio, Liguria, Sicilia and Toscana (IT)
In Italy, Xylosandrus compactus (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) was first found in 2011 in urban parks in the province of Napoli, Campania region. It was observed on plants of Quercus ilex, Viburnum tinus, Fraxinus ornus and Celtis australis showing symptoms of withering on twigs and shoots of small diameter (EPPO RS 2013/130). Later, X. compactus was also found in Lazio, Liguria, Sicilia and Toscana, mainly on Quercus ilex, Laurus nobilis and Ceratonia siliqua. During summer 2016, the pest was found in Lazio region causing serious decline and wilting of Mediterranean maquis plants on the Circeo Promontory (Circeo National Park). The affected area covered more than 13 ha on which a large number of evergreen maquis species such as Q. ilex, Viburnum tinus, Ruscus aculeatus, Pistacia lentiscus, L. nobilis and C. siliqua presented wilting branches (up to 2-3 cm in diameter) or mortality of young plants. Considering the extent of damage caused by X. compactus on the Circeo National Park, the authors recommended that X. compactus should be added to the EPPO Alert List.
Sources
Vannini A, Contarini M, Faccoli M, Della Valle M, Rodriguez CM, Mazzetto, Guarneri D, Vettraino AM, Speranza S (2017) First report of the ambrosia beetle Xylosandrus compactus and associated fungi in the Mediterranean maquis in Italy, and new host-pest associations. Bulletin OEPP/EPPO Bulletin 47(1), DOI: 10.1111/epp.12358