First record of the bronze bug Thaumastocoris peregrinus in Cyprus
🗺️ Native to Australia, Thaumastocoris peregrinus has managed to spread in Europe and the Mediterranean reaching among others Albania, Greece, Israel, Italy, Malta, Spain, Syria and Portugal.
🏕️ During field surveys individuals of Thaumastocoris peregrinus were collected on Eucalyptus trees in Limassol and the Akrotiri UK SBA. The species exclusively lives on Eucalyptus trees causing leaf discoloration, which may even lead to the death of saplings.
🌱Given that Cyprus does not profit financially from Eucalyptus plantations, the economic impact of Th. peregrinus should be negligible in this country. However, reduced fitness of ornamental Eucalyptus spp. throughout the synergistic effects of other observed alien species (e.g. Glycaspis brimblecombei), not only harms the aesthetics of the urban landscape, but could also increase municipal costs for pesticides, trimming or cutting down infested trees
📖 Read more about the species below:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/371991175_First_record_of_Thaumastocoris_peregrinus_Hemiptera_Thaumastocoridae_in_Cyprus
Demetriou J, Davranoglou LR, Makris C (2023) First record of Thaumastocoris peregrinus (Hemiptera: Thaumastocoridae) in Cyprus. Travaux du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle “Grigore Antipa” 66(1): 135-141. https://doi.org/10.3897/travaux.66.e90065
