Invasion History and Dispersion Dynamics of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly in the Balkan Peninsula.

The Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly), (Wiedemann 1824; Diptera, Tephritidae), is considered one of the most important pests, infesting more than 300 species of fresh fruit and vegetables worldwide. The medfly is an important invasive species, which has spread from the eastern part of sub-Saharan Africa to all of the world's continents in recent centuries. Currently, the medfly is expanding its geographical range to cooler, temperate areas of the world, including northern areas of Mediterranean countries and continental areas of Central Europe.

Numerical Modeling Reveals That Resistant Western Corn Rootworm Are Stronger Fliers than Their Susceptible Conspecifics.

The hindwing geometry, aspect ratio, and numerical modeling of susceptible, Bt-Corn- and rotation-resistant western corn rootworm (WCR) wings was investigated. All variants had similar hindwing geometries and aspect ratio (AR: 6-7). These AR values correspond to wings suited to lower altitude flights of a shorter distance.

Global change and adaptive biosecurity: managing current and emerging Aleurocanthus woglumi threats to Europe.

Global climate changes undermine the effectiveness of 'set and forget' phytosanitary regulations. Uncertainties in future greenhouse gas emission profiles render it impossible to accurately forecast future climate, thus limiting the ability to make long-term biosecurity policy decisions. Agile adaptive biosecurity frameworks are necessary to address these climatic uncertainties and to effectively manage current and emerging threats.

Wing Shape Variation between Terrestrial and Coastal Populations of the Invasive Box Tree Moth, , in Croatia.

The box tree moth ( Walker, 1859; Lepidoptera: Crambidae) is an invasive species naturally distributed in Asia. The caterpillars in all developmental stages cause damage through defoliation of plants, and ultimately the death of the plant itself may occur. It is possible to recognize this species by its silk barriers and threads, and in the case of an intense attack, the entire plant will be covered with them.

Risk Assessment and Area-Wide Crop Rotation to Keep Western Corn Rootworm below Damage Thresholds and Avoid Insecticide Use in European Maize Production.

The Western corn rootworm (WCR), LeConte, has been a serious quarantine pest to maize in Europe since the mid-1990s. The integrated pest management of WCR requires an accurate knowledge of the factors that contribute most to risks of crop damage, as well as knowledge of effective area-wide strategies based on agronomic measures, such as crop rotation. In Italy and Croatia, agronomic and cultural factors in fields damaged by WCR were evaluated through a long-term survey.

Effect of Climate Change on Introduced and Native Agricultural Invasive Insect Pests in Europe.

Climate change and invasive species are major environmental issues facing the world today. They represent the major threats for various types of ecosystems worldwide, mainly managed ecosystems such as agriculture. This study aims to examine the link between climate change and the biological invasion of insect pest species.

Exploratory Analysis of Color Forms' Variability in the Invasive Asian Lady Beetle (Pallas 1773).

The Asian ladybird ( Pallas), native to Asia, is one of the 100 most invasive species in the world and has spread worldwide. This study aimed to characterize color forms of in Croatia and to analyze the variability of wing shape between populations and indicated forms. Geometric morphometric methods were used to analyze a total of 129 left and right wings in males and 126 left and right wings in females of collected from four different sites in Croatia.

The Impact of Climate Change on Agricultural Insect Pests.

Climate change and global warming are of great concern to agriculture worldwide and are among the most discussed issues in today's society. Climate parameters such as increased temperatures, rising atmospheric CO levels, and changing precipitation patterns have significant impacts on agricultural production and on agricultural insect pests. Changes in climate can affect insect pests in several ways.

Western Corn Rootworm ( LeConte) in Europe: Current Status and Sustainable Pest Management.

Western corn rootworm (WCR), or LeConte, became a very serious quarantine maize pest in Europe in the mid-1990s. Between 1995 and 2010, European countries were involved in international projects to share information and plan common research for integrated pest management (IPM) implementation. Since 2011, however, common efforts have declined, and an overview of WCR population spread, density, and research is in serious need of update.

Weather Conditions and Maturity Group Impacts on the Infestation of First Generation European Corn Borers in Maize Hybrids in Croatia.

Overwintering success and weather conditions are the key factors determining the abundance and intensity of the attack of the first generation of European corn borers (ECB). The tolerance of maize to the 1st generation of ECB infestation is often considered to be connected with the maize maturity time. The aims of this research were (I) to examine the reactions of different maize FAO maturity groups in term of the damage caused by ECB larvae, (II) to analyze the influence of four climatic regions of Croatia regarding the damage caused by ECB larvae, and (III) to correlate observed damage between FAO maturity groups and weather conditions.

Modern Techniques in Colorado Potato Beetle ( Say) Control and Resistance Management: History Review and Future Perspectives.

Colorado potato beetle, CPB ( Say), is one of the most important pests of the potato globally. Larvae and adults can cause complete defoliation of potato plant leaves and can lead to a large yield loss. The insect has been successfully suppressed by insecticides; however, over time, has developed resistance to insecticides from various chemical groups, and its once successful control has diminished.

Durum Wheat Cultivars Express Different Level of Resistance to Granary Weevil, (Coleoptera; Curculionidae) Infestation.

The granary weevil, Linnaeus 1875, is a primary pest of stored grains worldwide. Feeding damage and progeny production of was estimated to identify the levels of resistance of the insect on different durum wheat cultivars. Insect attack on four different durum wheat cultivars was investigated over a period of 20 weeks.

Pest Management Challenges and Control Practices in Codling Moth: A Review.

The codling moth, L., is a serious insect pest in pome fruit production worldwide with a preference for apple. The pest is known for having developed resistance to several chemical groups of insecticides, making its control difficult.

Ozone Effectiveness on Wheat Weevil Suppression: Preliminary Research.

Insect infestations within stored product facilities are a major concern to livestock and human food industries. Insect infestations in storage systems can result in economic losses of up to 20%. Furthermore, the presence of insects and their waste and remains in grain and stored foods may pose a health risk to humans and livestock.

Codling Moth Wing Morphology Changes Due to Insecticide Resistance.

The codling moth (CM) ( L.) is the most important apple pest in Croatia and Europe. Owing to its economic importance, it is a highly controlled species and the intense selection pressure the species is under has likely caused it to change its phenotype in response.

Phenology of the sugar beet weevil, Germar (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), in Croatia.

The sugar beet weevil (SBW), Bothynoderes punctiventris Germar, 1824, is a significant pest in most of Eastern Europe. Here, the SBW is described and its seasonal activity characterized, in terms of its different developmental stages in relation to Julian days (JDs), degree-day accumulations (DDAs), and precipitation, as a key to improving monitoring and forecasting of the pest. The phenology and population characteristics of SBW were investigated in sugar beet fields in eastern Croatia over a 4-year period (2012-2015).

Two Decades of Invasive Western Corn Rootworm Population Monitoring in Croatia.

Western corn rootworm (WCR) is the worst pest of maize in the United States, and since its spread through Europe, WCR is now recognized as the most serious pest affecting maize production. After the beetle's first detection in Serbia in 1992, neighboring countries such as Croatia have established a national monitoring program. For more than two decades WCR adult population abundance and variability was monitored.

Area-wide mass trapping by pheromone-based attractants for the control of sugar beet weevil (Bothynoderes punctiventris Germar, Coleoptera: Curculionidae).

Background: Owing to the changing climate, narrow crop rotation, and changes in insecticide application practice, sugar beet weevil (SBW) (Bothynoderes punctiventris Germar) has become the most important economic pest in sugar beet. To develop alternative control methods, an area-wide (AW) control program using aggregation pheromones was implemented over 4 years on an area of 6 and 14.8 km in east Croatia.

The Temporal and Spatial Invasion Genetics of the Western Corn Rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in Southern Europe.

This study describes the genetics of the western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte in southern Europe during the introduction (1996-2001) and establishment/spread (2002-2011) phases of its invasion. The Diabrotica microsatellite core-set was used to perform traditional population genetics analyses. Our results indicated that during the introduction phase genetic diversity and population genetic structure were lower overall as compared to the establishment/spread phase.

Climatic, Edaphic Factors and Cropping History Help Predict Click Beetle (Coleoptera: Elateridae) (Agriotes spp.) Abundance.

It is assumed that the abundance of Agriotes wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae) is affected by agro-ecological factors such as climatic and edaphic factors and the crop/previous crop grown at the sites investigated. The aim of this study, conducted in three different geographic counties in Croatia from 2007 to 2009, was to determine the factors that influence the abundance of adult click beetle of the species Agriotes brevis Cand., Agriotes lineatus (L.

Monitoring techniques of the western corn rootworm are the precursor to effective IPM strategies.

Background: The western corn rootworm (WCR) is economically the most important pest of maize in Croatia. To predict WCR adult population abundance and variability, traditional, genetic and morphometric monitoring of populations was conducted over time through each phase of the WCR invasion process in Croatia.

Results: Through traditional monitoring it was shown that WCR established their current population and reached economic densities after 14 years persisting in the study area.

Ecomorphological variation of the wireworm cephalic capsule: studying the interaction of environment and geometric shape.

Studying the association between organismal morphology and environmental conditions has been very useful to test hypothesis regarding the influence of climate on shape. It has been long recognized that different environments produce dissimilar stress levels in insects, which can be reflected on the ability of an individual to overcome these pressures and spread further. Agriotes (Coleoptera: Elateridae) species infest agricultural fields in different parts of Croatia, inhabiting different climatic conditions.

Genetic monitoring of western corn rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) populations on a microgeographic scale.

Microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA genetic monitoring of the western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, was undertaken in Croatia and Serbia from 1996 to 2011 and in the United States in 2011. The seven U.S.