Formosan Entomologist (2008) 28, 315-320

Shi-Cheng Hung, Kun-Yaw Ho and Chien-Chung Chen (2008)
[Preliminary report on the occurrence of litchi gall midge, Litchiomyia chinensis (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) in the Chiayi Area, Taiwan]
Formosan Entomologist 28 (3-4), 315-320
Abstract: The litchi gall midge, Litchiomyia chinensis Yang and Luo, which damages the young leaves of litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.), has previously only been recorded in China and Australia. A similar pest was recently found in litchi orchards in the Chiayi area, Taiwan in September 2008. Based on our preliminary comparisons on the morphology, occurrence, damage habit, and host specificity with records in the literature, the newly discovered pest found in Taiwan is very similar to the L. chinensis recorded in China. However, further expertise in identification is required. It is suspected that the pest was brought to Taiwan with seedlings or in packing soil through illegal importation. The current occurrence of the pest is known in Jhong-Pu, Jhu-Ci, Fan-Lu, Mei-Shan and Da-Lin in Chiayi county and Chiayi city, affecting more than 20,000 hectares. Among these localities, Jhu-Ci, Jhong-Pu and Fan-Lu are the three most infected townships where 50-90% of new leaves of the litchi are damaged by this pest. This paper reports the occurrence, distribution and damage rates as well as suggests some control measures for this new pest. We hope to draw early attention to this problem in the hope to prevent the spread of litchi gall midge in Taiwan.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
(original language: Chinese)

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
surveys/sampling/distribution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Litchiomyia chinensis	Lychee/litchi (Litchi chinensis)	Taiwan