Recent emergence and spread of the citrus red mite in Serbia

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Abstract: The citrus red mite, Panonychus citri (Mc Gregor) is a polyphagous and worldwidedistributed species, considered as an economically important pest of citrus plants. In Europe, P.citri was found in the main citrus producing countries, causing frequent or occasional damagein citrus plantations. Except citrus plants, this species was reported on some other hosts, mostlyornamentals. Over a six-year spider mites survey (2013-2018) in Serbia, which is not a citrusproducing country, P. citri was found in 30 sampling locations throughout the country on sevenplant species from the family Rosaceae. Of these, five species were new hosts of the citrus redmite: Malus sylvestris, M. pumila, Prunus domestica, Cydonia oblonga and Pyrus pyraster.Host records of Malus domestica and Pyrus communis were the first ones in Europe. The citrusred mite was found on wild fruit trees, in small gardens and crofts, as well as within commercialorchards. A heavy infestation with obvious feeding symptoms on the leaves was observed inseveral locations. The spread of P. citri on rosacean fruit trees in Serbia represents the first suchcase in Europe and Western Palearctic.

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