Assessing the potential of spread of an introduced crop pest in a new country is crucial to anticipating its effects on crop production and deriving phytosanitary management toward reducing potential negative effects. Citrus production represents a key agricultural activity throughout the Mediterranean basin. The African citrus psyllid Trioza erytreae (del Guercio, 1918) (Hemiptera: Triozidae) is a natural vector of Candidatusliberibacter spp., the causal agent of the harmful disease huanglongbing (HLB) or “citrus greening disease”. In continental Europe, T. erytreae was detected for the first time in northwestern Spain in 2014. Pest risk analysis (PRA) approaches, such as modeling, consider both time and space components to predict the potential distribution of pests in a given region. In this work, we aim to parameterize a model able to predict the expected spread of T. erytreae in the Iberian Peninsula using three types of PRA models. The kernel model with two hypothetical entry points accurately predicted the distribution of T. erytreae with respect to latitude. This model should be further refined and validated to support decision-makers in the adoption of timely and successful management and regulatory measures against the spread of T. erytreae to other citrus-producing areas in Europe.

Carabid beetles are important predators in agricultural landscapes feeding on a range of prey items. However, their role as predators of the olive fruit fly,Bactrocera oleae(Rossi) (Diptera: Tephritidae), one of the most serious pests of olives, is unknown. In this context, the feeding preferences and the functional responses of two carabid beetle species,Calathus granatensis(Vuillefroy) andPterostichus globosus(Fabricius), were studied under laboratory conditions. Feeding preference assays involved exposing carabid beetles to different ratios ofB. oleaepupae and an alternative prey, the Mediterranean fruit fly,Ceratitis capitata(Wiedemann). Both species fed onB. oleaepupae however,C. granatensisalways showed a significant preference for that prey whereasP. globosusswitched toC. capitatapupae when the offered ratio was below 0.5. The total prey biomass consumed was significantly higher forP. globosusthan forC. granatensis. Functional response curves were estimated based on different densities ofB. oleaepupae and both carabid beetle species exhibited a type II functional response using Rogers’ random-predator equation.P. globosusshowed shorter handling time (1.223 ± 0.118 h) onB. oleaepupae thanC. granatensis(3.230 ± 0.627 h). Our results suggest that both species can be important in reducing the densities ofB. oleaein olive groves, althoughP. globosuswas more efficient thanC. granatensis.

Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) is a voracious predator of soft-bodied insects such as juveniles of scale insects and the black scale Saissetia oleae (Olivier) (Hemiptera: Coccidae) is an important pest of several crops, such as the olive tree. However, the predatory efficiency of C. carnea on S. oleae has been unstudied yet. The present work aimed to study the functional response of larvae of C. carnea fed on S. oleae nymphs. In a controlled laboratory environment, increasing densities of S. oleae second and third nymph stages were offered to newly emerged specimens of the three larvae instars of C. carnea. After 24 h, the number of killed S. oleae was recorded and the functional response of C. carnea was assessed. The three larval stages of C. carnea displayed a type-II functional response, i.e., killed prey increased with higher S. oleae densities up to a maximum limited by the handling time. The attack rate did not significantly differ among the three instars while the maximum attack rate was significantly higher for the third instar. The handling time of the first larval instar of C. carnea was higher than that of the third instar. Our results demonstrated that S. oleae could act as a food resource for all larval stages of C. carnea. Furthermore, the third larval stage of the predator was the most efficient in reducing S. oleae densities. These results suggest that C. carnea larvae could contribute to S. oleae control in sustainable agriculture.