Population surge of zigzag elm sawfly (Aproceros leucopoda (Takeuchi, 1939): Hymenoptera: Argidae) in the Northern Cis-Azov Region

Abstract

Zigzag elm sawfly Aproceros leucopoda (Takeuchi, 1939) is a dangerous invasive pest of elm trees, which quickly spreads in Europe. The initial range of A. leucopoda covers Japan, the east of China, the Korean Peninsula, and the Russian Far East. Within the territory of Ukraine, the species was found for the first time in 2006 in Lugansk oblast. The first population surge of zigzag elm sawfly was registered in artificial plantations of Siberian elm (Ulmus pumila) in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhya oblasts in the summer of 2014. It led to complete defoliation of plantations over a large area. The wide distribution, quantity, and scale of damage testify that the species has become naturalized completely in the region. The appearance of new dangerous pest demands the development and adoption of measures to control pest populations.