Ábrahám Levente (szerk.): Válogatott tanulmányok VI. - Natura Somogyiensis 19. (Kaposvár, 2010)

SÁFIÁN Sz. & HORVÁTH B.: BOX Tree Moth - Cydalima perspectalis (Walker, 1859), new member in the Lepidoptera fauna of Hungary (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)

Natura Somogyiensis 19 245-246 Kaposvár, 2011 Box Tree Moth - Cydalima perspectalis (Walker, 1859), new member in the Lepidoptera fauna of Hungary (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) SZABOLCS SÁFIÁN & BÁLINT HORVÁTH Institute of Silviculture and Forest Protection, Faculty of Forestry, University of West Hungary, H-9400 Sopron, Bajcsy-Zsilinszky u. 4., Hungary, e-mail: lepkeved@yahoo.co.uk SÁFIÁN, Sz. & HORVÁTH, B.: BOX Tree Moth - Cydalima perspectalis (Walker, 1859), new member in the Lepidoptera fauna of Hungary (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). Abstract: Cydalima perspectalis (Walker, 1859) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) was found as new to Hungary during moth trapping in the Botanical Garden of the University of West Hungary, Sopron. The species is a well known pest in Asia on Buxus and might become invasive in Central Europe. Keywords: Cydalima perspectalis, Lepidoptera: Crambidae, Buxus, pest, introduced species, invasive, new country record, Hungary The authors organised a moth trapping event at the public program called „Kutatók Éjszakája" - Night of Researchers in the Botanical Garden of the University of West Hungary, Sopron on the 23rd September 2011 (Coordinates: 47°40'52.47"N, 16°34'25.98"E). Although there was not much moth activity, at about 21.00 two moths were attracted to the light, which were immediately recognised by Sáfián as belonging to the pyraloid species Cydalima perspectalis (Walker, 1859), as the species was recently discussed on the mailing list of Hungarian Lepidopterists as a potential coloniser and was predicted to arrive in Hungary in the near future by CSÓKA et al. (2010). It was recently found in Austria and also in Slovenia (Matjaz Jez pers. comm.) but according to the latest checklist of Microlepidoptera (

PASTORÁLIS 2010) and personal communication with Imre Fazekas, the species was not previously recorded from Hungary. Between 21.00 and 23.00 not less than 7 specimens of the species appeared at the 250W blended bulb, of which 4 were melanic and only 3 wore the usual black and white pattern of the species (Fig. 1). The species is a well known pest within its original range in Asia on Box Tree (Buxus), and it was most probably introduced to Europe with containered Buxus seedlings (MALLY & Nuss 2010). In Europe the moth was first recorded in Germany; SLAMKA (2010) lists it also from Switzerland, Austria and Liechtenstein. It was first reported from Belgium also in 2011 (CASTEELS et al 2011). In Europe the larvae develop on the widely planted ornamental bush Buxus sempervirens, so the moth is expected to colonise parks and gardens in Hungary, wherever Buxus plants occur and might become an invasive pest. The collecting place is also a park, where Buxus bushes were widely planted in the past. The collected material will be deposited in the Lepidoptera collection of the Directorate of Somogy County Museums (SCM, Kaposvár).