Invasion by the oak lace bug, Corythucha arcuata (Say) (Heteroptera: Tingidae), in Turkey

Abstract

Corythucha arcuata (Heteroptera: Tingidae) is an important pest species that causes severe damage to oak species by sucking up the cellular sap material and leaving its eggs on the underside of leaves. Considered a Nearctic species with a wide distribution, especially in the United States and southern Canada, it has recently been reported beyond the North American continent, specifically in Italy, Switzerland, and Turkey. Since its first report from Bolu, in 2003, the oak lace bug has rapidly dispersed throughout Turkey-to Düzce, Zonguldak, Sakarya, Kocaeli, Eskişehir, Ankara, Çankırı, and Bilecik provinces. The present study determined that the oak lace bug has infected 28,000 km^{2} of Turkey.