Spreading of Aleurocanthus spiniferus (Quaintance) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) in coastal area of Montenegro

The presence of orange spiny whitefly Aleurocanthus spiniferusis (Quaintance) was reported for the first time in Montenegro in 2013 in citrus orchards in the Boka Kotor Bay area (Montenegro seacoast). In the following years, it gradually spread in new localities within this area. Outside these, the pest was registered for the first time in 2014 in citrus orchards in the locality near the city of Bar. Besides spreading in new localities and confirming infestations of citrus, A. spiniferus was found on new host plants in 2015. Infested Rosa sp., Helix hedera L., Vitis vinifera L., Laurus nobilis L., Wisteria sinensis (Sims) A.P. de Cand. and Punica granatum L. were recorded in the vicinity of the first detection site. In 2016, infestations were confirmed from the same areas and same hosts as in previous years. Visual inspections showed that, in addition to citrus, on which symptoms of severe infestations were noticed, Rosa sp. and H. hedera were particularly susceptible and heavily infested. As results of excretions of copious amounts of honeydew, which coat leaves, branches and fruits infested plants quickly become covered by black sooty mould. Heavily infested citrus and rose plants were almost completely black in appearance, with premature fallen leaves. As a highly polyphagous pest, current distribution of A. spiniferus and detected host plants alert about a possible further spreading and damages not only on citrus, but also on urban greenery and fruit production along the Montenegro seacoast. This also indicates the latest record on Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl, in September 2017, as another host plant, as well as the detection on grapevine, the first time out of the area of the Boka Kotor Bay.