First report of Corythucha marmorata in Italy
Corythucha marmorata (Hemiptera: Tingidae – chrysanthemum lace bug) is reported for the first time in Italy, and in the EPPO region. During studies on Agromyzidae leaf miners, specimens of an unusual Tingidae were collected from leaves of Arctium minus (Asteraceae) in October 2022 in Olgiate Molgora (province of Lecco), Lombardia. In November 2022, further surveys were conducted in Lombardia in abandoned fields, as well as in crops near cemeteries and greenhouses where potential hosts (e.g. chrysanthemums) were grown. As a result, further specimens of C. marmorata were collected on several Asteraceae (A. minus, Artemisia verlotiorum, Aster amellus, Chrysanthemum sp., Solidago gigantea) and in different localities.
The chrysanthemum lace bug nymphs and adults feed on the underside of leaves, removing cell contents, causing chlorosis and eventually premature leaf fall. In some cases, the entire plant may turn yellow and die.
C. marmorata originates from North America and has been introduced in the 2000s in China, Japan and the Republic of Korea, where it has clearly shown an invasive behaviour. In its native range, it mainly feeds on Asteraceae but in its invaded range, the pest has been reported on other plant families and in particular on Ipomoea batatas (sweet potato, Convolvulaceae) and Solanum melongena (aubergine, Solanaceae).
A distribution map and a list of host plants are available from the EPPO Global Database, as well as a picture of the pest kindly uploaded by Dioli et al.
https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/CRTHMA/distribution
https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/CRTHMA/hosts
Sources
Dioli P, Mauri ES, Salvetti M (2022) Corythucha marmorata (Uhler, 1878), new alien species in Europe, found in Northern Italy (Hemiptera, Tingidae). Revista gaditana de Entomología 13(1), 119-125.