First record of Pochazia shantungensis (Chou & Lu, 1977) (Hemiptera: Ricaniidae) in Bulgaria: alien and potentially invasive species on Via Pontica

Ilia Gjonov; Nikolay Simov

Ilia Gjonov https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4239-9756; Nikolay Simov https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1626-2964

4 March 2025 · volume 47 · (issue 3) · pp. 49–53 · PDF [full text]

Abstract: The current study documents the first record of Pochazia shantungensis, an invasive pest species in the Ricaniidae family, within Bulgaria. Two specimens were observed and a single male specimen was collected in Burgas, marking a significant expansion in the distribution of this species. Known for its adaptability and agricultural impact, P. shantungensis represents a potential threat to native flora and crop systems. This paper provides details on the collection site, specimen identification, and the possible role of the Via Pontica migratory route in the introduction of P. shantungensis to Bulgaria. A comparable radiation pathway in a different non-native species of the same family, Orosanga japonica (Melichar, 1898), is discussed in the paper. Given the recent spread of P. shantungensis into the Western Palaearctic region, monitoring and further studies are recommended to assess its impact on local ecosystems.

Keywords: Black Sea Coast, Bulgaria, non-indigenous, planthoppers, Ricaniidae

References [17]

Akıner M., Öztürk M., Sevgili H. 2022 Invasion history of Orosanga japonica in Turkey and comparisons with other Ricaniidae family members using molecular tools. Turkish Journal of Entomology 46 (2): 107–117.

den Bieman C.F.M., de Haas M.C., Fens-Bax T. 2024 Twee exotische cicaden nieuw voor Nederland: Acanalonia conica en Pochazia shantungensis (Fulgoromorpha: Acanaloniidae and Ricaniidae). Nederlandse Faunistische Mededelingen 62: 63–70.

Bounegru O. 2014 The Black Sea Area in the Trade System of the Roman Empire. Euxenius 14: 8–16.

Bourgoin T., Gros P., Stroiński A. 2020 Pochazia shantungensis (Chou et Lu, 1977), an important Asiatic invasive pest on fruit trees, first time reported from France (Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha, Ricaniidae). Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France 125 (3): 271–272.

Bragard C., Baptista P., Chatzivassiliou E., Di Serio F., Gonthier P., Jaques Miret J.A., Justesen A.F., Magnusson C.S., Milonas P., Navas‐Cortes J.A. 2023 Pest categorisation of Pochazia shantungensis. EFSA Journal 21 (4): e8320. https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8320

Brambila J., Hodges G.S. 2008 Bugs (Hemiptera). In: Capinera J.L. (ed.) Encyclopedia of Entomology. Springer, Dordrecht, 591–611. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6359-6_10476

Hizal E., Oztemiz S., Gjonov I. 2019 Ricania shantungensis Chou et Lu 1977 (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Ricaniidae) a new invasive insect species in European Turkey. Fresenius Environmental Bulletin 28 (12): 9816–9820.

Hizal E., Oztemiz S., Gjonov I. 2023 Phenology and host preferences of the invasive Pochazia shantungensis: Risks for agriculture and forest areas in the West-Palaearctic region. Acta Zoologica Bulgarica 75 (3): 287–295.

Liebhold A.M., Turner R.M., Bartlett C.R., Bertelsmeier C., Blake R.E., Brockerhoff E.G., Causton C.E., Matsunaga J.N., McKamey S.H., Nahrung H.F., Owen C.L., Pureswaran D.S., Roques A., Schneider S.A., Sanborn A.F., Yamanaka T. 2024 Why so many Hemiptera invasions? Diversity and Distributions 30 (12): e13911. https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.13911

Park J., Jung S. 2021 Taxonomic review of the family Ricaniidae (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Fulgoroidea) from Korea. Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology 24 (3): 230–237.

Schaefer C.W., Panizzi A. R. (eds) 2000 Heteroptera of Economic Importance. CRC Press, Boca Raton, 828 pp.

Schlitt B.P., Koczor S., Orosz A. 2024 First record of a polyphagous Ricaniid pest, Pochazia shantungensis (Chou et Lu, 1977) from the Carpathian Basin (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Ricaniidae). Acta Phytopathologica et Entomologica Hungarica 59 (2): 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1556/038.2024.00225

Staccioli R.A. 2003 The Roads of the Romans. The J Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, 132 pp.

Stroiński A., Balderi M., Marraccini D., Mazza G. 2022 First records of Pochazia shantungensis (Chou et Lu, 1977) (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Ricaniidae) in Italy. Zootaxa 5188 (3): 275–282.

Stroiński A., Bourgoin T. 2022 On the taxonomic position of Pochazia shantungensis (Chou et Lu, 1977) (Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha, Ricaniidae). Annales de la Societe entomologique de France (NS) 127 (3): 272–274.

Weirauch Ch., Schuh R.T. 2011 Systematics and evolution of Heteroptera: 25 years of progress. Annual Review of Entomology 56 (1): 487–510. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-ento-120709-144833

Zhuravleva E.N., Gnezdilov V.M., Tishechkin D.Y., Mikhailenko A.P., Shoshina E.I., Karpun N.N., Musolin D.L. 2023 First records of Graphocephala fennahi Young, 1977 and Pochazia shantungensis (Chou et Lu, 1977) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae, Ricaniidae) in Russia. EPPO Bulletin 53 (1): 139–144.