Impact of insects damaging seed cones of cypress, Cupressus sempervirens, in natural stands and plantations of southeastern Europe

Citation
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
Citations number
17
Categorie Soggetti
Plant Sciences
Journal title
ANNALS OF FOREST SCIENCE
ISSN journal
12864560 → ACNP
Volume
56
Issue
2
Year of publication
1999
Pages
167 - 177
Database
ISI
SICI code
1286-4560(199902)56:2<167:IOIDSC>2.0.ZU;2-0
Abstract
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.).