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The invasive weevil Aulacobaris cuprirostris (Fabricius, 1787) was detected for the first time in Russia, in the Adler district of the city of Sochi. The native range of this species is in North Africa, the Mediterranean region, Western Europe, Southern Europe, and the southern part of Central Europe. We found three specimens of this species more than 1100 km apart from its previously known range on a lawn where the seedlings of shrubs were planted several years ago. The weevils could have been unintentionally introduced with these imported seedlings. Aulacobaris cuprirostris feeds on different species of Brassicaceae and is a pest of cabbage in Western Europe. Therefore, it could potentially become a pest in Krasnodar Territory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis of my own and published data has made it possible to reveal the main trends of invasions in coleopterans of European Russia. On the whole, 168 alien species of beetles from 30 families have been recorded in the region; 102 of them are pests. The following biotopes are typical for alien beetles of European Russia: houses, agrocenoses, biocenoses of human settlements, and ruderal biotopes. However, more than 50% of species occur in their native biotopes: forests, animal shelters, etc. No species has drastically changed native communities, but species of tree pests, which penetrated recently from East Asia, can potentially inflict serious damage to the forests of European Russia: Agrilus planipennis (Buprestidae), Trichoferus campestris (Cerambycidae), Anisandrus maiche (Curculionidae, Scolytinae), Xyleborinus attenuatus (Curculionidae, Scolytinae), and Xylosandrus germanus (Curculionidae, Scolytinae). About half of these species were accidentally introduced with products of either animal or plant origin, about 25% of them were transported with plant substrates (straw, compost), about 10% came with wood, about came 14% with living plants, and less than 5% of species were introduced intentionally. The native ranges of alien beetles of European Russia are situated in the Mediterranean region, East and Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Africa, South and North America, Western Europe, and Australia. The highest number of species (about 20%) originate from East Asia. Most alien beetles were introduced to European Russia not directly, but rather from Western Europe (invasion in stages). In the last 20 years, the number of new alien species originating from East Asia has increased. The regions in which the majority of new beetle species alien to European Russia have been found over the last 20 years are Krasnodar krai and Adygea (14 species) and Moscow oblast (8 species). The process of invasion of beetles into European Russia is accelerating. More alien beetles have penetrated into European Russia during the last 20 years than in the same periods in the past: 42 new alien species, including 23 pest species. The percentage of new alien species associated with living plants has been constantly increasing since the middle of the 20th century and has reached more than 50% in the last 20 years. Alien beetles typically have wide ranges. About 80% of alien beetle species of European Russia have adapted not only in Europe but also in other parts of the world; more than 50% of them have become cosmopolitan. The distribution of an alien species is usually fast: such a species spreads thousands of kilometers in several decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species established outside their native ranges are termed alien. Biological invasions of beetles are poorly studied. Distinguishing between alien and native species is necessary for conservation as well as for taxonomic, zoogeographic, and evolutionary studies. It constitutes a difficult problem, but the experience of botany and some branches of zoology gives reasons to believe that it is not unsolvable. The following criteria for distinguishing alien beetle species from native ones are proposed based on the criteria developed for plants, algae, mammals, and marine invertebrates: (1) detection of an established population of the species which has not been recorded earlier in the region; (2) disjunction of the range which cannot be explained by disjunction of suitable landscapes or host plant ranges; (3) expansion of a part of the range isolated from its main part; (4) highly localized distribution in an area adjacent to a known invasion pathway; (5) establishment in other regions; (6) dependency on another non-native species (feeding on an alien host plant or animal); (7) absence of specific parasites in the given region and their presence in some other region; (8) association with anthropogenic biotopes; (9) sharp fluctuations of abundance; (10) lack of taxonomically close species in the given region and their presence in other regions; (11) detection in the region of two or more taxonomically and/or ecologically close species typical of another region; (12) presence of known vectors of invasion; (13) low genetic diversity; (14) reproduction by parthenogenesis or inbreeding. These criteria are mere indirect evidences of the alien status of a species in the given territory, because numerous exceptions exist. Usually it is impossible to recognize an alien species by a single criterion, but matching several criteria characterizes the species as an alien one with high probability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Observations in nature and in captivity revealed that Altica brevicollis feeds on Corylus avellana* l., A. lythri on Epilobium l., Aphthona czwalinae on Euphorbia l., A. nigriscutis on the inflorescence envelope of Euphorbia glareosa, Cassida nebulosa on Chenopodium l., C. nobilis on Atriplex l., C. panzeri on Lactuca tatarica* l., C. rubiginosa on Carduus* l., C. vibex on Centaurea* l., C. viridis on Lycopus l., Chaetocnema breviuscula on Chenopodium l., Cheilotoma musciformis on Rumex l., Chrysolina limbata russiella on Plantago lanceolata l., Ch. marginata on Achillea millefolium l., Ch. sturmi on Glechoma hederacea l., Clytra laeviuscula on Salix l., C. quadripunctata on l. of Salix and Rumex, Colaphus hoeftii on l. and f. of Sisymbrium loeselii*, Crioceris duodecimpunctata and C. quatuordecimpunctata on Asparagus officinalis l., Cryptocephalus apicalis on Artemisia l., C. bipunctatus on Trifolium pratense f., C. cordiger on Rosa l., C. laetus on f. of Taraxacum serotinum and Inula, C. quatuordecimmaculatus on Genista tinctoria l., C. schaefferi on Ulmus l., C. sericeus on Salvia l. and Cichorium intybus f., C. violaceus on Taraxacum officinale f., C. virens on Salvia l., Derocrepis rufipes on Trifolium pratense l., Entomoscelis adonidis on l. of Adonis vernalis and f. of Brassicacea, Epitrix pubescens on Solanum dulcamara l., Chrysochus asclepiadeus on Vincetoxicum l., Galeruca pomonae on Arctium* and Salvia* l., Galerucella aquatica on Rumex l., G. calmariensis on Lythrum salicaria* l., G. lineola on Salix l., G. luteola on Ulmus pumila* l., G. pusilla on Epilobium l., Gastrophysa polygoni on Polygonum aviculare and Rumex l., Hypocassida subferruginea on Convolvulus* l., Labidostomis pallidipennis on Salix l., Leptinotarsa decemlineata on Hyoscyamus niger l., Lilioceris merdigera on Polygonatum and Convallaria majalis l., Longitarsus anchusae on Cynoglossum officinale l., L. lycopi on Glechoma hederacea l., L. nigrofasciatus on Scrophularia nodosa l., L. obliterates on Salvia verticillata and S. nemorosa l., L. pellucidus on Convolvulus arvensis l., Phaedon armoraciae on Veronica beccabunga* and V. longifolia* l., Phyllotreta procera on Reseda lutea l., Podagrica menetriesi on Althaea officinalis l., Prasocuris phellandrii on l. of Ranunculus sceleratus*, Cirsium* and Lycopus*, Psylliodes affinis on Solanum dulcamara l., P. attenuates on l. of Cannabis sativa and Humulus lupulus, P. dulcamarae on Solanum dulcamara l., P. reitteri on Phalaroides arundinacea l., Pyrrhalta viburni on Viburnum opulus l., and Smaragdina affinis on Salix l. The host plant is marked with an asterisk if the larvae of the respective leaf-beetle have been reared to adults. Abbreviations: l.-leaves, f.-flowers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The harlequin ladybird Harmonia axyridis (Pallas, 1773) is one of the most famous invasive beetles in the world. A map of 105 findings of H. axyridis in Western Siberia, Kazakhstan, and northwestern China was compiled based on the examination of museum collections (about 1000 spec.) and analysis of the published data. Southeastern Kazakhstan is not a part of the native range of the species. The history of expansion of H. axyridis into southeastern Kazakhstan was reconstructed. At the end of the XIX century and in the first half of the XX century, the species was recorded in Kazakhstan Altai but not in other regions of Kazakhstan. In the early 1960s and 1976 it was found in more southern territories of the Ayaguz and Aksu River floodplains. Later on, H. axyridis was recorded further south, in Trans-Ili Alatau, and became a common species in the vicinity of Almaty. The coloration of adults and genetic data indicate that the harlequin ladybird has migrated to Trans-Ili Alatau from Kazakhstan Altai or Western Siberia. There is a vast Balkhash desert between the native range of the species and Trans-Ili Alatau, through which the beetles could not have migrated by themselves. Judging by the finding localities and dates, the invasion corridor was formed by the railroad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the invasive harlequin ladybird ( Harmonia axyridis), which has been speading rapidly throughout the world, has naturalized in the Caucasus. According to our data, the range of its outbreak covers the Black Sea coast of Krasnodar krai and part of the Abkhazian coast and also the southern and northern foothills of the Greater Caucasus. Both light (form succinea) and dark (form spectabilis) specimens are detected to the north of the mountain ridge, but there were no dark specimens among 220 beetles collected to the south of the mountain ridge. The drastic difference between populations indicates their different origin. Probably, the Transcaucasian population of beetles appeared as a result of their mass release in Georgia in the 1980s, and the Caucasian population appeared as a result of later releases of beetles in Krasnodar krai or of spontaneous expansion of the European range. The introduction of a new alien predator can affect the state of the Caucasian entomofauna. Harlequin ladybirds pose a threat to local populations of ladybirds as well as to butterflies which develop on leaves. In addition, H. axyridis can cause injury to fruits and grapes, posing a threat to fruit and wine production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerald ash borer Agrilus planipennis is a serious pest of ash. It was accidentally introduced to Moscow in the 1990s. In May 2013, ashes in four cities located to the northwest of Moscow were examined. In Zelenograd (20 km from Moscow), Klin (70 km from Moscow), and Konakovo (100 km from Moscow), most of the ashes have been already killed or severely damaged by the pest. Obviously, within the next several years, ashes will be entirely eliminated from green plantations of these cities. Ashes examined in Tver (145 km from Moscow) are not damaged. The European range of the pest has significantly expanded to the northwest. Its border now crosses Tver oblast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emerald ash borer ( Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, 1888) is a dangerous invasive pest of ashes. It was previously believed that in European Russia it occurs only in Moscow, Moscow Province, and in the eastern regions of Smolensk Province. An examination of ash trees in 12 cities of European Russia has revealed a much wider area of the emerald ash borer invasion. The pest was found in Konakovo (Tver Province), Tula, Kaluga, Orel, and Voronezh. We have found that A. planipennis damages not only Fraxinus pennsylvanica (an American species which is commonly planted in cities), but also the aborigine European ash Fraxinus excelsior. Ashes in the European forests and in the protective forest belts are badly endangered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The harlequin ladybird ( Harmonia axyridis) is recorded in Belgorod oblast. This species has established itself in 38 countries of North America, South America, Europe, and Africa in the last 24 years. Mass propagation of this beetle in a number of regions has led to the decline of local ladybird species and other insects. The harlequin ladybird is a significant pest of fruit and wine production. H. axyridis is a nuisance that infests houses in large numbers when searching for overwintering sites. Hungry beetles bite people. The fluid excreted by these beetles has a foul odor, stains furniture and walls, and causes an allergy. The harlequin ladybird should be included in the list of quarantine species of the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision of Russia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An analysis of 415 locations of Lilioceris lilii (Scopoli, 1763), a pest of ornamental liliaceous, allowed tracing the dynamics of the species range in Eurasia from the 18th century to the present. Now the area of distribution is a continuous band across the whole continent, from Portugal to the Khabarovsk krai, but until the end of the 19th century, the range was disjunctive. It consisted of two large subranges: European and Asian. There was a gap of about 2000 km between them. The easternmost of the known European locations of the 19th century lies in Voronezh oblast, while the far west of the Asian location is in the vicinity of Omsk. In Asia, the species ranged in Siberia, the Far East, and northern China. Taking into account the Asian origin of host plants of the lily beetle, as well as the genus Lilioceris in general, it can be assumed that the European subrange is secondary, invasive. The disjunctive range could hardly be of relict origin, since L. lilii can quickly establish and develop vast territories in decades. This ability of the lily beetle is evidenced by the distribution of this invasive species in Britain, Canada, and the United States. From the literature, it is known that in 1688 the lily beetle already inhabited Western Europe, and Siberian species of lilies were first brought there in 1596. Apparently, the pest was introduced together with planting material in this time interval. By the mid-20th century, L. lilii had settled in the Volga region, the Urals, and the south of Western Siberia. Thus, the range gap virtually ceased to exist. In recent decades, the range in the European part of Russia has expanded to the north and northeast. By now, the lily leaf beetle has populated even some areas where its host plants are found only as cultivated or adventive plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examination of 1492 specimens of Ch. limbata (Fabricius, 1775) from the entire distribution range resulted in the discrimination of six subspecies: limbata (West Europe excluding the Apennine Peninsula, the Crimea, north and south of European Russia, the Great Caucasus, Northern Kazakhstan, and southern West Siberia), discipennis (Ménétriés, 1848) (southeast of European Russia, Western Kazakhstan), hochhuthii (Suffrian, 1851) (south of East Siberia, Eastern Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Northern China), luigionii (Depoli, 1936) (the Apennines, the Alps, Herzegovina, the Mediterranean coast of France); russiella ssp. n. (deciduous forests, forest-steppe and steppe of European Russia and Ukraine); volodi ssp. n. (alpine regions of the Lesser Caucasus and eastern Turkey). Ch. limbata findelii (Suffrian, 1851) is a new junior synonym of Ch. limbata limbata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The leaf-beetle Leptomona russica (Gmelin, 1790) known from the Caucasus, Kazakhstan, and Middle Asia was found in Orenburg Province for the first time. It is the first record of this species from Europe and the first record of the genus Leptomona from European Russia. The diagnostic characters of the two Russian Leptomona species are included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The species rank of Macroplea japana (Jacoby, 1885) is confirmed based on examination of the holotype. The main characters distinguishing this species from M. mutica are as following: the 4th antennomere is as long as the 3rd segment and somewhat longer than the 2nd segment; the pronotum is smooth, shining, with 3 black longitudinal stripes on the bottoms of 3 longitudinal impressions; the femora and tibiae black apically; the 1st metatarsomere is as long as the 2nd and the 3rd tarsomeres combined and is almost twice as long as the 2nd tarsomere; the claws bear no triangular projection near the bases; the aedeagus forms a shorter apical projection. Macroplea japana is found in Russia (Primorskii Territory) for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]