Leptoglossus occidentalis Heidemann, 1910

Cvetkovska-Gjorgievska, Aleksandra, Dedov, Ivailo, Hristovski, Slavcho, Langourov, Mario, Lazarevska, Stanislava, Prelik, Dana & Simov, Nikolay, 2019, New records of allochtonous, invasive and pest invertebrate species from the Republic of Macedonia, Ecologica Montenegrina 20, pp. 56-70 : 62

Leptoglossus occidentalis Heidemann, 1910 - western conifer seed bug ( Hemiptera , Coreidae )

Record: Mariovski Kozjak Mt. , above Vitolishte Vill., on Pinus nigra , 1140 m a.s.l., 41.169611° N 021.857722° E, 09.07.2012, 1♂ 1♀ 2 juv., leg. N. Simov.

Origin: Leptoglossus occidentalis is an invasive alien species of North American origin ( Rabitsch 2008, 2010).

After one and half decade of its first record in Italy in 1999 ( Bernardinelli & Zandigiacomo 2001) the species spread throughout almost all of Europe ( Rabitsch 2008, 2010; Kment & Baňař 2008; Fent & Kment 2011; Werner 2011; Winkelmann & Bahr 2011) including Balkan countries: Slovenia – 2003, Croatia – 2004, Bulgaria – 2008, Serbia – 2006, Montenegro - 2008, Turkey – 2009, Greece - 2008, Bosnia and Herzegovina - 2014, Macedonia - 2015, Kosovo - 2015 ( Rabitsch 2008, 2010; Fent & Kment 2011; Dautbašić and Mujezinović 2014; Kulijer 2016; Kulijer & Ibrahimi 2017).

The western conifer seed bug feeds on the young seeds and strobiles of various conifers from Pinacea and Cupressaceae families ( Werner 2011), causing reduction of seed fertility ( Connely & Schowalter 1991). It is classified as a pest in its native range ( Mitchell 2000) and in Italy ( Roversi et al. 2011). Furthermore, L. occidentalis can be considered a major threat for all European conifer forests as feeding strongly affects the germination capability of seeds ( Lesieur et al. 2014).

The presence of western conifer seed bugs in isolated and very scarce populated region as Mariovski Kozyak and its good flight abilities are the reasons to regard this invasive alien species as well established in whole Macedonian territory.