Mediterranean-invasion
Guides
Macrohomotoma gladiata
Curtain Fig Psyllid
Macrohomotoma gladiata is an invasive Asian psyllid that has established populations across the Mediterranean Basin and California, where it infests ornamental Ficus microcarpa. Nymphs feed on young tissues, producing dense white waxy secretions and honeydew that promotes sooty mould growth and causes twig dieback. The species has a likely bivoltine life cycle with possible partial third generation; young nymphs overwinter under stipules without development, resuming growth in spring. Natural enemies include a Psyllaephagus parasitoid that can achieve high parasitism rates, and the predatory bug Anthocoris nemoralis.
Pacifastacus leniusculus
Signal Crayfish
The signal crayfish is a large North American freshwater crayfish introduced to Europe in the 1960s to replace declining native fisheries. It has become one of the most ecologically impactful invasive decapods in Europe, outcompeting native crayfish and serving as a carrier of crayfish plague (Aphanomyces astaci). The species establishes self-sustaining populations rapidly, with six age cohorts documented within a few years of introduction. It shows sex- and size-specific coloration patterns, with males displaying more saturated and brighter ventral claw surfaces than females, suggesting a role in intraspecific communication.
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Fig Flies
Zaprionus is a genus of fruit flies in the family Drosophilidae, distinguished by conspicuous white longitudinal stripes across the head and thorax. The genus is divided into two subgenera based on stripe number: Zaprionus (even number of stripes) and Anaprionus (odd number of stripes). Species occur primarily in Africa and southern Asia, with several species showing invasive expansion. The genus is taxonomically nested within the paraphyletic genus Drosophila.
Drosophilidaefruit-fliesinvasive-specieszebra-stripesAfrotropicalOrientalagricultural-pestfermenting-fruitparasitoid-hostkleptoparasitismoviscapt-structureegg-filamentsfig-pestgrape-pestberry-pesttropicalsubgenus-Zaprionussubgenus-Anaprionuscompetitive-displacementsecondary-pestmonitoringvinegar-traprange-expansionMediterranean-invasionNew-World-invasionHawaiian-IslandsSoutheast-AsiaWest-Africapolyphagousdecomposernutrient-cyclingPachycrepoideus-vindemiaeSpalangia-endiusLeptopilina-boulardiinterspecific-competitiondevelopmental-plasticitytemperature-effectsfungal-interactionsPichia-kudriavzeviiCoquillett-1901taxonomic-revisionmolecular-phylogeneticsforeleg-spinestrichome-structureslight-polarizationcuticular-pigmentationspecies-groups-armatus-inermis-vittiger-neglectusspecies-subgroups-armatus-tuberculatus-vrydaghi-montanus-spinosus-inermis-tuberculatus-sepsoides-davidi-indianus-ornatus-proximus-sexvittatus-vittigerspecies-complexes-armatus-hoplophorus-vrydaghi-sepsoides-tuberculatus-davidi-indianus-ornatus-proximus-sexvittatus-vittigerZ.-africanusZ.-armatusZ.-bogoriensisZ.-burlaiZ.-camerounensisZ.-campestrisZ.-capensisZ.-cercociliarisZ.-cercusZ.-davidiZ.-enoplomerusZ.-flavofasciatusZ.-fumipennisZ.-gabonicusZ.-ghesquiereiZ.-grandisZ.-hoplophorusZ.-inermisZ.-indianusZ.-kolodkinaeZ.-koroleuZ.-lachaiseiZ.-lineosusZ.-litosZ.-mascariensisZ.-momorticusZ.-montanusZ.-multistriatusZ.-multivittigerZ.-neglectusZ.-niabuZ.-obscuricornisZ.-ornatusZ.-proximusZ.-pyinoolwinensisZ.-santomensisZ.-sepsoidesZ.-seguyiZ.-serratusZ.-sexstriatusZ.-sexvittatusZ.-silvistriatusZ.-spinilineosusZ.-spinipesZ.-spinoarmatusZ.-spineusZ.-spinosusZ.-taronusZ.-tsacasiZ.-tuberarmatusZ.-tuberculatusZ.-verrucaZ.-vittigerZ.-vrydaghiZ.-aungsaniZ.-arduusZ.-badyiZ.-orissaensis