Arge scita, a potential pest of almond in Italy
In summer 2022, the regional plant protection service of Puglia (Italy) observed the occurrence of severe leaf damage of almond trees (Prunus dulcis) in the province of Lecce. The damage was caused by an insect, the sawfly Arge scita (Hymenoptera: Argidae) feeding on the leaves. Little is known about this species. It is known to occur in Eastern Europe (Bulgaria, Crete, Cyprus, Greece, Russia) and the Middle East (Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Türkiye, Turkmenistan and Armenia), but has not been recorded as a pest before. This is the first record of A. scita in Italy. It is considered established in the province of Lecce in an area of about 900 km2.
Sources
Cavalieri V, Donne AG, Saponari M, Carrieri M, Boscia D, Dongiovanni C (2023) Arge scita (Symphyta: Argidae): a potential emerging phytophagous for almond? Phytoparasitica 51(3), 385-392.