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Kefalonia Surreptitious palm borer (1 Viewer)

jforgham

Birding for fun
In Greece last week. Came across this "micro" on the bonnet of a chevrolet!
regards, Jono
Ps; Now home and nfy this morning; willow beauty, mottled rustic, elephant hawk, clouded silver, uncertain, and bright line brown eye + Udea olivalis and Scorparia pyralella
Species total 2013 82, compared to 27th June 2012 when (in what was agreed to be a very bad year) 115!
regards,
Jono
 

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Hi Jono

A nice moth, even if it is an introduced pest.

There don't seem to be many (published) records for Greece. I've only found the following:
Vassarmidaki, M.; Thymakis, N.; Kontodimas, D.C. 2005-2006. First record in Greece of the palm tree pest Paysandisia archon. Entomologia Hellenica 16: 44-47

Coutsis, John G. 2012. Paysandisia archon, new to Paros Island, Greece (Lepidoptera: Castniidae). Phegea 40: 25-26

Martin
 
Hi Jono

A nice moth, even if it is an introduced pest.

There don't seem to be many (published) records for Greece. I've only found the following:
Vassarmidaki, M.; Thymakis, N.; Kontodimas, D.C. 2005-2006. First record in Greece of the palm tree pest Paysandisia archon. Entomologia Hellenica 16: 44-47

Coutsis, John G. 2012. Paysandisia archon, new to Paros Island, Greece (Lepidoptera: Castniidae). Phegea 40: 25-26

Martin

Hi Martin,
Do you have a website or email address where I could send this record. I saw 3 of them on Kefalonia in the space of 2 days, all different locations.
Cheers,
Jono
 
Hi Jono

Not many countries are as organised as the UK when it comes to Lepidoptera records. I'm certainly not aware of one for Greece (although there might be).

The usual way to inform people of these records is to publissh them in one or other of the entomological journals - as a 'Note'. With three such records it would certaainly be useful to do so.

I'm one of the assistant editors of the Entomologisst's Gazette and I'm sure that we would be happy to publish a short note (they are often useful page fillers!).

If you want to pm me I can give you further details.

Martin
 
Just back from 2 weeks in Kefalonia. Only saw 2 species of moths, but 1 was this Surreptitious Palm-borer found on 18th July 2016 flying by day near our hotel in Sami - so that rather made up for the lack of species! Mobbed by Swallowtail (butterfly!), I thought it was Convolvulus Hawk at first glance, until it landed on me! Put it on tree trunk in shade and it was still there the next morning.

So seems that they may perhaps be established on the island?

Best

Robert
 

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It would seem so as a warning has just been issued telling people to check their palm trees, only prune them during the winter months and report any sightings to the department of agriculture in Kefalonia. It's also present in Greece as a whole. In the Balearic Islands it has spread to the native dwarf palm which, being much smaller, are at risk of actually being killed by the larvae. To quote the Google translation of part of the issued warning "adult females usually spawn in the armpits of the crown leaves" - i.e. the growing tip.
Martin
 
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