Invasive insect species importance and possible pathways of their spreading in Serbia

Abstract

Invasive insect species are alien species that have significant impact on biodiversity of certain area or specific country, and also can cause severe damage to cultivated plants. Many insects spread actively, but very often benefit from human activities and use transport of trades and passengers to travel all around the globe. Directions and stopover of these stowaways are usually unpredictable hence the importance of insect monitoring and investigation of their spreading pathways are of great importance for the country, and even for the whole potentially endangered region. One of the currently most important Hemipteran species, recorded for the first time in 2015 in Serbia, is Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, Halyomorpha halys Stål (Pentatomidae). The species has been monitored for five consecutive years and nowadays it is considered as well established in the country. On the other side, another cosmopolitan Hemipteran species, in Serbia known as tobacco white fly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Aleyrodidae) was recorded on the territory of Serbia in 2016 and 2017, but since then specimens of this species have not been recorded neither outside nor in green houses during regular monitoring, why it is considered as not established.