First report of Artona martini, bamboo moth, in Italy
The NPPO of Italy recently informed the EPPO Secretariat of the first finding of the bamboo moth Artona martini (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae) on its territory. The pest was reported by the Municipality of San Colombano Certenoli (Liguria region) in October 2019 in an area where bamboo (Phyllostachys sp.) is naturalized. This insect feeds on different species of bamboo (e.g. Bambusa multiplex, Shibataea kumasasa, Pleiobastus viridistriatus, Phyllostachys edulis, P. makinoi, P. nigra) and on Miscanthus sinensis). It is native to China, Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam, and was introduced in New-Zealand and South Korea at the end of the 1990s and in 2010, respectively.
The pest status of Artona martini in Italy is officially declared as: Present.
Sources
NPPO of Italy (2020-03).