Aleurocanthus camelliae (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), a species possibly new for the European fauna of a genus in great need of revision

Abstract

The genus Aleurocanthus Quaintance & Baker, 1914 comprises about 80 species worldwide, several of which are of economic importance for crops including Aleurocanthus woglumi and A. spiniferus. During import interceptions A. camelliae, a look-alike of the former species, has occasionally been found on imported Camellia bonsai, pot plants and shrubs in the Netherlands. Living populations of this species may be locally found on imported and traded plants in the EPPO region. In Europe all species of the genus Aleurocanthus are regulated, which makes early recognition necessary. A reliable identification is needed to take adequate measures that prevent the establishment and spread of newly intercepted species in Europe. A key is given to related genera and to developmental stages, together with an overview of field views of puparia and the main discriminating morphological and microscopic characters of both adult and pre-adult stages of three species. Since 2008, A. spiniferus is established in southern Italy and is spreading, both in Italy and in surrounding countries in the Mediterranean region, causing severe economic and ecological damage not only to the Citrus culture but because of its polyphagy to many other host plants as well. The early recognition of species newly introduced into Europe is complicated by the loss of taxonomical knowledge and the diminishing number of taxonomic workers. A revision of the genus should include the delimitation of the genus, separating it from related genera, the (re)description of the intraspecific variation of known species and the description of newly collected species by molecular techniques and morphological methods.