Lagria villosa (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae): addition to the Alert List
Why: Lagria villosa (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) is highly polyphagous beetle native to Africa. In South America, where it has been introduced, it has been reported to cause significant economic damage to a range of crops when conditions are hot and dry, including strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa), soybean (Glycine max) and potatoes (Solanum lycopersicum). The pest is not known to occur in the EPPO region, but L. villosa has been intercepted in the Netherlands and in Finland on imported plant produce. Considering these interceptions and its potential to cause damage were it to establish, the NPPO of the Netherlands suggested that L. villosa could be usefully added to the EPPO Alert List.
Where: L. villosa is native to Africa and is believed to be widespread across western, south-eastern and eastern Africa. L. villosa was introduced to Brazil in 1976 and has since spread to neighbouring countries.
Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Zimbabwe
South America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil (Bahia, Espirito Santo, Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Santa Catarina, São Paulo), Paraguay
On which plants: L. villosa is a highly polyphagous pest with a wide host range, the full extent of which is not yet known. The host range of L. villosa includes the following species: Ananas comosus, Brassica rapa subsp. sylvestris, Coffea arabica, Cucumis sativus, Fragaria × ananassa, Glycine max, Lactuca sativa, Musa × paradisiaca, Oryza sativa, Phaseolus vulgaris, Prunus persica, Psophocarpus tetragonolobus, Sorghum bicolor, Solanum lycopersicum, Solanum tuberosum, Vitis labrusca and Zea mays.
Damage: Damage is caused when adults feed on the leaves, flowers, fruits, grains and seeds of several crop species, causing direct crop losses. The larvae of L. villosa are detritivores and can live in or on the soil, but have also been found on fruits of host plants. There is limited literature on L. villosa but some reports suggest infestation is highest during hot and dry conditions, especially when host plants are under water stress. L. villosa has also been reported to vector plant pathogens including Pseudomonas syringae pv. garcae, Pseudomonas cichorii, Fusarium subglutinans, Burkholderia gladioli.
Dissemination: Adult beetles can fly. This is believed to be the main mechanism of its spread across South America, although no data is available on adult flight potential. In international trade, L. villosa is likely to move on plants for planting and plant products of its host plants. It has been intercepted on imported fruits, leaves or stems of host plants (in the Netherlands on chewing khat (Catha edulis), table grapes (Vitis vinifera) and stems of basil (Ocimum basilicum) and in Finland on table grapes).
Pathways: host plants for planting, fruit, foliage, grain, seed? from countries where L. villosa occurs
Possible risks: Many crop species which are hosts of L. villosa are grown across the EPPO region. Interceptions made by the Netherlands and Finland have shown that L. villosa has the potential to enter the EPPO region via trade. In an Express-PRA carried out by the Julius Kühn-Institut (2022) it was considered that L. villosa could establish in southern Mediterranean countries, where climatic conditions are similar to areas of South America where it has become a pest. The wide host range and flight potential of L. villosa suggest that, were it to be introduced to the EPPO region, it could spread, as has happened across South America. Natural enemies have been observed in South America but more research is needed on their ability to control populations of L. villosa. There is little evidence of damage in its native range in Africa and damage in South America appears limited to hot and dry weather events, so the extent of potential damage to the EPPO region remains unclear.
Sources
Azeredo ED, Cassino PCR (2004) Bioecology and trophic effects upon Lagria villosa (Fabricius, 1783)(Coleoptera: Lagriidae) in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) area. Agronomia 38(1), 52-56
Cordo HA, Logarzo G, Braun K, Di Iorio O (2004) Catálogo de insectos fitófagos de la Argentina y sus plantas asociadas. Sociedad Entomológica Argentina Ediciones, Buenos Aires, 734
Guimarães JH (1978) Hyalomyodes brasiliensis Townsend (Diptera, Tachinidae), a parasite of the introduced pest Lagria villosa Fabricius (Coleoptera, Lagriidae). Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 32(3), 35-40 https://www.revistas.usp.br/paz/article/download/211149/193492
Julius Kühn-Institut (2022) Express-PRA zu Lagria villosa. Accessed at : https://pra.eppo.int/pra/3ba8371e-eabc-4529-9e3c-fd9f8fb1bd82
Link D, Panassolo G, Gausmann E (1981) Occurrence of Lagria villosa (Fabr., 1783) (Coleoptera: Lagriidae) causing losses in soybean. Journal of the Center for Rural Sciences 11(4), 267–268 https://periodicos.ufsm.br/revccr/article/view/72981
NVWA (2025) Quick scan for Lagria villosa (Fabricius, 1781) https://pra.eppo.int/pra/628130c9-68cf-47fb-b804-c7c7184c739e/
Ruzzier E, Martinez-Munoz CA (2021) First record of the invasive Lagria villosa (Fabricius, 1781) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Lagriinae) in Europe. Zootaxa 4908(1), 147-150. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4908.1.11
Uberti A, Smaniotto MA, Giacobbo CL, Lovatto M, Lugaresi A, Girardi GC (2017) Novo inseto praga na cultura do pessegueiro: biologia de Lagria villosa Fabricius, 1783 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) alimentados com pêssego. Scientific Electronic Archives 10(5), 72-76 http://www.seasinop.com.br/revista/index.php?journal=SEA&page=article&op=view&path%5B%5D=484&path%5B%5D=pdf