European Journal of Entomology (2021) 118, 250-254
Zdenka Martinkova, Alois Honek and Pavel Saska (2021)
Gastrophysa viridula (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in the Czech Republic: Decline in a once abundant invasive oligophagous consumer of Rumex
European Journal of Entomology 118, 250-254
Abstract: While the progress of the spread of invasive species of insects in new geographical areas are usually intensively monitored, the decline of these species often escape attention and is poorly documented. In this study, we record the decline in abundance of Gastrophysa viridula (DeGeer), an invasive oligophagous consumer of dock (Rumex spp.). This species originally inhabited Alpine regions. In the late 1800s, G. viridula was recorded in montane areas in the Czech Republic and then throughout this country. Gastrophysa viridula was very abundant in 1995-1999, when we found it in all of the 177 stands of R. obtusifolius inspected in western Czech Republic. In a repeated study of its occurrence in the same area from 2019-2020, this species was present in < 30% of 434 of the stands inspected and was only abundant (> 55% of plants in the stand infested by G. viridula) in < 4% of these stands. Thus the local occurrence and abundance of G. viridula had decreased significantly. Of the possible reasons for this decline the most probable are the effect of climate warming on host plant seasonality, changes in agricultural use of grasslands and fragmentation of large stands of dock.
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Database assignments for author(s): Zdenka Martinkova, Alois Honek, Pavel Saska
Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
population dynamics/epizootiology
Pest and/or beneficial records:
| Beneficial | Pest/Disease/Weed | Crop/Product | Country | Quarant.
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rumex obtusifolius (weed) | Czech Republic | |||
| Gastrophysa viridula (weed bioagent) | Rumex obtusifolius (weed) | Czech Republic |
