Europe-invasion
Guides
Aceria fraxiniflora
ash flower gall mite
Aceria fraxiniflora is a North American gall mite that produces distinctive galls on ash trees, particularly on male flowers. Native to North America, it was first recorded in Europe in southeast Hungary in 2017 and has since spread rapidly across eight Central-Eastern European countries by 2023. The mite appears to be a strict specialist on North American ash species, with no records from native European ashes. Its rapid spread on invasive green ash has raised interest in its potential as a biocontrol agent, though its real impact on host fitness remains unquantified.
Coptodisca
Coptodisca is a genus of small moths in the family Heliozelidae, established by Walsingham in 1895. Species are leafminers whose larvae feed internally on leaves of woody plants, creating distinctive blotch mines. Several species have become invasive pests in Europe, particularly C. lucifluella and C. juglandiella on walnut (Juglans) and related trees. The genus is native to the Nearctic region with approximately 20 described species.
Platynota stultana
Omnivorous Leafroller, Omnivorous Leafroller Moth
Platynota stultana, the omnivorous leafroller, is a highly polyphagous tortricid moth native to northwestern Mexico and the southwestern United States. It has become an established invasive pest in Hawaii, Spain, Italy, and multiple other European countries. Adults are small with wingspans around 14 mm and are active year-round in warm climates. The species completes four to six generations annually in California and produces severe economic damage in vineyards, greenhouses, and nursery operations. Larval feeding on grape berries causes skin breakage that leads to fungal rot and crop losses up to 80%.