Phenolia (Lasiodites) picta (W. S. MacLeay, 1825)

Phenolia (Lasiodites) picta (W. S. MacLeay, 1825)

Material examined: Sakar Mts, Ustrem Vill., 42°01.334’N 26°27.383’E, 95 m a.s.l., house yard, 27.vii.2024, 1 ♂ ( BFUS- COL000003 ), at light ( UV) (21:00–21: 30 p. m.), D. Gradinarov & Y. Petrova leg. ( Fig. 2 E – H) GoogleMaps ; Sakar Mts , Ustrem Vill., 42°01.341’N 26°27.385’E, 95 m a.s.l., backyard of a house ( Fig. 1 B, D), 08.ix.2024, 1 ♂ ( BFUS- COL000004 ), emerged 08–30.ix.2024 from decaying figs, D. Gradinarov & Y. Petrova leg. GoogleMaps ; idem, 08.ix.2024, 3 ♀♀ ( BFUS- COL000005 , BFUS-COL000006 , BFUS-COL000007 ), emerged 08.ix.–14.x.2024 from decaying figs, D. Gradinarov & Y. Petrova leg. GoogleMaps ; Sakar Mts , Ustrem Vill., 42°01.345’N 26°27.391’E, 95 m a.s.l., street side vegetation ( Fig. 1 A, C), 10.ix.2024, 2 ♀♀ ( BFUS- COL000008 , BFUS-COL000009 ), emerged 10.ix.–14.x.2024 from decaying figs, D. Gradinarov & Y. Petrova leg. GoogleMaps

Larvae of P. picta were observed in decaying fruits of F. carica in the first half of September ( Fig. 3 A, B). Two to three weeks after fruit collection, the larvae pupated in the sand ( Fig. 3 C–E), and by mid-October several adults emerged ( Fig. 3 F).

Phenolia picta is widely distributed in south-west Indian Ocean Islands ( Seychelles, Madagascar, Nossi-Bé, Réunion), Indo- Malayan and Australian regions, Eastern Palaearctic region (e.g. Pakistan, Japan, Korea and China) and Hawaii ( Kirejtshuk & Kvamme 2002; Kirejtshuk 2005). For Europe and Mediterranean areas, the species was firstly reported in 2014 from southern Spain as P. limabata tibialis (Boheman, 1851) ( Viñolas et al. 2014; Jelínek et al. 2016), later from eastern Spain ( Montagud & Orrico 2015), southern France, Asian Türkiye ( Jelínek et al. 2016), Greece ( Kalaentzis et al. 2020), Italy (Sicily and Sardinia) ( Sparacio et al. 2020; Rattu et al. 2021), South Caucasus ( Khryapin 2022) and Iran ( Serri et al. 2023). Data on the presence of P. picta in Bulgaria have not been published so far, but occurrence data for the species from the citizen-science platform iNaturalist (www.inaturalist.org) are present in Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF. org 2024).

It is noteworthy that all known records of the species within the invasive range came from coastal regions, up to 30 km from the seashore and in many cases in proximity to rivers. The observations from 2023 in Bulgaria, presented in GBIF are as well from the coastal regions (Varna and Primorsko, the Black Sea coast). According to Kirejtshuk & Kvamme (2002) the highest species diversity within the subgenus Lasiodites has been recorded for mountains and tropical rainforest. In accordance with the subgenus preferences, P. picta seems to prefer areas or habitats with a wetter climate in the newly occupied territories. This corresponds well with our findings of the species, where the studied sites are located near a river, the larvae develop in fallen fruits in habitats with more or less constant temperature and humidity – enclosed backyard and shaded street margin. However, the locality in Sakar is situated in significant distance from the closest seashore (more than 100 km) which probably is a result of subsequent spreading of the species. Apparently, the species is successfully established at least in the southeastern region of Bulgaria.

In its invasive range, P. picta feeds on rotting fruit fallen on the ground ( Phoenix dactylifera , Opuntia sp. , F. carica , Vitis vinifera , Citrus spp. , Pyrus communis , Prunus spp. , Diospyros kaki ) and does not appear to be economically important pest ( Viñolas et al. 2014; Montagud & Orrico 2015; Rattu et al. 2021; Serri et al. 2023).