First record of Aleurocanthus spiniferus (Quaintance) (Hemiptera Aleyrodidae) in Montenegro

In October 2013, orange spiny whitefly Aleurocanthus spiniferus (Quaintance) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) was detected for the first time in Montenegro. It was found in citrus orchards in Baošići (orange and mandarin), Herceg Novi (mandarin) and Kumbor (orange), in an area of Boka Kotor Bay on the Adriatic Sea (latitude 42° 26’ north). A. spiniferus is regulated in the European Union and therefore an immediate survey of the whole montenegrin coastal area, where citrus production occurs, was undertaken. The pest was additionally found in Djnovići, on a small number of mandarin and lemon trees. A. spiniferus is polyphagous and a major pest of citrus. It originated in southeast Asia and has spread widely in tropical and subtropical Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands. In Europe it was first detected in Italy (2008) and subsequently in Croatia (2012). It presents a potential risk for citrus production in Montenegro, particularly for the important citrus producing areas of Bar and Ulcinj. These areas, geographically more southern than the area of first detection, are still free from the pest. Additionally, the whitefly presents a potential risk for other host plants grown in Montenegro where the climatic conditions are suitable for acclimatization of A. spiniferus