A. Roques et al., Impact of insects damaging seed cones of cypress, Cupressus sempervirens, in natural stands and plantations of southeastern Europe, ANN FOR SCI, 56(2), 1999, pp. 167-177
A total of 18 stands of Cupressus sempervirens L. (Cupressaceae) were surve
yed in the natural Greek range (plus one stand in Turkey) during 1994-1996
in order to identify the pests of seed cones and assess their impact on see
d survival. Naturalised stands of mainland Greece, Albania and Malta were s
ampled for comparison. The cone entomofauna (seven insect and one mite spec
ies) did not differ between the native and introduced ranges of cypress. A
tortricid, Pseudococcyx tessulatana (Lepidoptera:Tortricidae:) and a mite,
Trisetacus juniperinus (Acari:Nalepelllidae), were the most damaging pests
because they usually killed cones during the growth period. A more intensiv
e survey of damage together with cone development in four Greek stands show
ed that only 11-37 % of the initial cones survived until maturity. The seed
crop decreased by 78-95 %. Pests, predominantly tortricid larvae, mites an
d Orsillus seed bugs (Hemiptera:Lygaeidae), were responsible for 41-84 % of
that decrease according to the stand. ((C) Inra/Elsevier, Paris.).