New insights into the distribution and spreading of the Asian walnut moth, (Erschov, 1874) (Lepidoptera, Nolidae) in Europe with a focus on the Italian range.

The Asian walnut moth, (Erschov, 1874) (Lepidoptera, Nolidae) is an alien pest originating from Central Asia and is now spreading in Europe, attacking walnut trees. In this study, we updated the current distribution of , focusing on the Italian range, where it was reported for the first time in 2021. Field surveys showed an extensive distribution of in northern Italy, particularly in the Veneto Region.

From refugia to contact: Pine processionary moth hybrid zone in a complex biogeographic setting.

Contact zones occur at the crossroad between specific dispersal routes and are facilitated by biogeographic discontinuities. Here, we focused on two Lepidoptera sister species that come in contact near the Turkish Straits System (TSS). We aimed to infer their phylogeographic histories in the Eastern Mediterranean and finely analyze their co-occurrence and hybridization patterns in this biogeographic context.