Rosemary beetle Chrysolina americana: A new invasive leaf beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Chrysomelinae) in Israel

Abstract

the rosemary leaf Beetle (Chrysolina (Taeniochrysea) americana (linnaeus, 1758)) does not occur in americas, it was given this name erroneously. It is dis­ tributed around the mediterranean sea in southern europe, north africa, the near east and the middle east (Balachowsky 1963), although the only avail able records from the near east are from turkey (western and south­western pro vinces) (gül­ Zümreoğlu 1972; Tuatay et al. 1972; Kısmalı 1973; Aslan et al. 2003). I failed to find any additional record of C. americana from the near east. C. americana is actively expanding its distribution to the north; it appeared in the UK in 1963, and is now considered to be established there (Johnson 1963; Halstead 1996; Barclay & Mann 2002; MacLeod 2002). In recent decades it has been recorded from Belgium, Germany, Switzerland (Kippenberg 2015), The Netherlands (Beenen & Winkelman 2001) and latvia (telnov et al. 1997; Bukejs & Telnov 2010). C. americana feeds and breeds mainly on the leaves of rose mary (Rosmarinus officinalis l.) and la­ ven der (Lavandula species), but also on thyme (Thymus spp.), sage (Salvia spp.), russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia Benth.), and possibly other plants in the Lamiaceae family (Balachowsky 1963; Bibolini 1964; Halstead 1996; Barclay & Mann 2002; MacLeod 2002; CABI 2016). C. americana is flightless and therefore restricted in its dispersal ability, but can be easily transported together with its host plants (MacLeod 2002). In the UK, C. americana is now considered a pest of la­ vender, rosemary and thyme (macleod 2002). the fauna of the Israeli Chrysomelinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) was sur­ veyed by friedman et al. (2005), summarizing around 80 years of intensive col­ lecting, based on the national Collection of Insects, the steinhardt museum of na tural History, Israel national Center for Biodiversity studies, Department of Zoo logy, tel aviv university (smnHtau). sixteen species of Chrysolina were re cor ded, not including C. americana. Chrysolina are mainly spectacular, large and colorful beetles, usually dwelling freely on their host plants (both larvae and adults), often easily collected or photographed by both professional and amateur en to mologists, and among the better studied and better known groups of beetles.