Present day bio-invasions in the Volga-Ural Region: from the South to the North or from the East to the West? Cameraria ohridella (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) in the Lower and Middle Volga

Abstract

The occurrence of the invasive horse-chestnut leaf miner, Cameraria ohridella, in the cities of Saratov and Samara in the Volga Region was recorded for the first time in 2018. Possible pathways of species penetration from the southern parts of European Russia are discussed.

Invasion Genetics of the Horse-Chestnut Leaf Miner, Cameraria ohridella (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), in European Russia: A Case of Successful Involvement of Citizen Science in Studying an Alien Insect Pest

“…In the north of European Russia, C. ohridella was recorded in Saint Petersburg in 2013 [ 58 ]. So far, the Volga region is known as the easternmost territory in Russia invaded by C. ohridella [ 30 ]. Here, the species was detected in 2018, suggesting its spread from the western regions in European Russia occupied by the alien pest a few years earlier.…”

“…In the last few decades, this species has spread across most of Europe from its original, relatively small native range (the Balkans), which was clarified by a molecular genetic analysis [ 26 , 27 ]. The insect severely damages horse chestnut, Aesculus hippocastanum L. (Sapindaceae), a tree that is actively used in landscaping in Europe [ 28 ], including European Russia [ 29 , 30 ]. The moth is able to outbreak within a short period, and its foci can function for years [ 22 ].…”

“…The pest was recorded for the first time in the European part of Russia in 2003 (in Kaliningrad, an enclaved region on the Baltic Sea coast); two years later, it was documented in Moscow [ 31 , 32 ]. Since then, it has continued spreading across European Russia, causing notable damage to its host plant [ 30 , 33 , 34 ].…”

Tissue Culture Response of Ornamental and Medicinal Aesculus Species—A Review

“…Aesculus species exhibit different levels of susceptibility to the leafminer, with horse chestnut being the most susceptible species and the main host of the moth [9]. After its initial discovery in Macedonia in 1984 [8], C. ohridella infestation has spread across Europe over the last four decades and heavily damaged the horse chestnut plants [10][11][12]. Due to the activity of the leafminer, horse chestnut trees suffer from severe leaf damage, causing precocious defoliation, decreasing nutrient accumulation and seed weight, and affecting growth of the seedlings [13,14].…”

The Invasive Horse-Chestnut Leaf Miner <em>Cameraria ohridella</em> (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) in the Southern Russia: Preliminary Molecular Genetic Characterization

“…In the following years, the leaf miner was found in a number of regions in the European part of Russia where its primary host, the horse chestnut, is grown in ornamental plantings. The easternmost point where the pest is nowadays found in Russia is the Volga region [8,9], which is around 900 km southeast of Moscow in a straight line. The moth has widely occupied the southern territory of the country, the regions situated along the Black Sea coast, where it provides spectacular outbreaks in resort areas along the cost adversely affecting tree health and the local landscapes [10].…”