taiwanensis adults (sex ratio 1:1), captured in the field and sexed in the laboratory, were placed together with Ficus spp. “Moclame”, and Ficus pandurata Hance) were tested. taiwanensis to attack and complete its life cycle on Ficus species of economic value, three Ficus ornamental species with strategic importance for the nursery sector ( Ficus benjamina L., Ficus microcarpa L.f. The fig twigs, with eggs inserted or attached, were vertically stuck into the soil, and the eggs found laid in the soil were placed around the twigs to provide the fig wood as nourishment for the newly hatched larvae.
The soil was wetted weekly with 20 mL of water. taiwanensis observed were put into six LDPE pots (9 × 10 × 10 cm) filled with soil. taiwanensis couples was observed for one year starting from March 2019. The eggs laid in soil were removed, and the twigs with eggs attached or inserted in the bark were replaced with fresh ones (see below). The date and their position-(a) eggs inserted/attached in/to the twig or (b) eggs laid in the soil-were noted. The eggs laid by each female were separately counted and measured using a micrometric ocular mounted on a stereomicroscope (Wild Heerbrugg M20, Gais, Switzerland). Three times a week, the fig twigs and the soil around them were accurately examined to find the eggs laid ( Figure 1b). Once a week, the soil was wetted with 20 mL of water. The LDPE container was filled with soil and with two fig twigs (1.5-cm diameter and 15–20-cm length) vertically stuck. taiwanensis were placed in individual cylindrical Plexiglas cages, as described above. Six couples (one male and one female) of A.
For each record, data about the region, month, and year of observation were collected, and the new distribution of this pest was plotted on a map. All the citizen-science records were validated by the examination of the available picture(s). The last check of the data was made in September 2020. The search words/phrases used were: “ Aclees taiwanensis”, “ Aclees”, “black fig weevil”, “black weevil”, “punteruolo nero”, “punteruolo fico”, “fico”, “charançon noir du figuier”, and “charançon noir”. Moreover, concerning occurrences, all the available sources were investigated: social networks (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) and searching for the species on entomological groups, as well as websites of photo- and video-sharing (i.e., Flickr and YouTube), and other naturalistic sites. In particular, the Italian naturalistic forums “Forum Entomologi Italiani”, “Forum Natura Mediterraneo”, and “iNaturalist”, the system for sharing biodiversity records, were checked. taiwanensis distribution was built by surveying the adult occurrences in citizen-science platforms, social networks, and photo/video-sharing websites. This paper updates the known distribution of this species in Southern Europe, using a citizen science approach, and describes, under laboratory and field conditions, its main biological traits.Ī database of A. taiwanensis distribution, biology, and physiology. Such strategies need a detailed knowledge of A. To avoid the loss of the Mediterranean fig orchards, effective strategies to detect and control the black weevil are required. taiwanensis spread, and we can reasonably expect a rapid diffusion of this pest all over the Mediterranean area. To date, no specific EU regulation has been applied to prevent the A. taiwanensis, the fig production has nearly halved, decreasing from 20.09 t to 10.65 t. In Italy, from 2005, the year of the first detection of A. Aclees taiwanensis causes the rapid death of the fig tree by its larvae that dig alimentation galleries in the trunk and surface roots, compromising the phloem flux. In recent years, a new pest, the black weevil Aclees taiwanensis Kȏno, 1933 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) native to Asia, has been recorded in France and Italy. is one of the earliest cultivated fruit trees, and figs are a typical fruit of the Mediterranean diet and traditional medicine as well.
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