First report of Sophonia orientalis in Morocco
Sophonia orientalis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae - two-spotted leafhopper) originates from Asia and has recently spread to other continents, showing an invasive behaviour. In March and April 2020, 3 specimens of S. orientalis were found in Casablanca in Morocco. This record was also the first one for the African continent. The invasion history and current geographical distribution of this insect is presented in a paper by Baena & Joseph-Edouard (2021).
In the EPPO region, S. orientalis was first recorded in 2004 on the island of Madeira (Portugal), but it is thought that it has been present there at least since 2000. It was then found in Spain, in the Canary Islands (La Palma) in 2006, and on the mainland in the province of Cadiz in 2009 (Andalucía). In subsequent years, it was recorded in other parts of Andalucía (provinces of Granada, Málaga), as well as in Cataluña (province of Tarragona, see EPPO RS 2020/073). In 2010, it was also recorded in Gibraltar. In 2018, S. orientalis was observed in various areas of Portugal (Braga, Castelo Branco, and Faro). S. orientalis is a highly polyphagous species (associated with more than 300 plant species in 83 plant families), but for the moment no particular damage has been recorded in Portugal and Spain.
According to the literature, its current geographical distribution is as follows:
EPPO region: Gibraltar, Morocco, Portugal (mainland, Madeira), Spain (Canary Islands, mainland).
Africa: Morocco, Saint Helena.
Asia: China (Fujian, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hong Kong), Japan (Honshu, Kuyshu, Ryukyu (Okinawa), Shikoku), Singapore, Taiwan.
North America: USA (Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii (all islands of the archipelago), Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia).
Oceania: French Polynesia (Raivavae, Tahiti).
Sources
Aguin-Pombo D, Franquinho Aguiar AM, Kuznetsova VG (2007) Bionomics and Taxonomy of leafhopper Sophonia orientalis (Homoptera: Cicadellidae), a Pacific pest species in the Macaronesian Archipelagos. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 100(1), 19-26.
Baena M, Joseph-Edouard JP (2021) [First record of Sophonia orientalis (Matsumura, 1912) in Africa and Morocco (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae, Evacanthinae, Nirvanini)]. Boletín de la Asociación Española de Entomología 45(3-4), 153-160 (in Spanish).
Wilson M, Bensusan K, Perez C, Torres JL (2011) First records of the exotic leafhopper Sophonia orientalis (Matsumura, 1912) (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae) for the Iberian Peninsula and mainland Europe. Boletín de la Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa 48, 435‒436.