Encounters with an alien: Harmonia axyridis in Europe

The harlequin ladybird, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is an aphidophagous coccinellid, native to central and eastern Asia (Kuznetsov, 1997; Majerus et al., 2006). It was introduced to Europe in 1982 and has spread rapidly since, for example, 100 km per year in Britain. Harmonia axyridis has been recorded as established in: France (first report), Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Luxembourg, England, Czech Republic, Italy, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Poland, Wales, Liechtenstein, Scotland, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria (last report). The IOBC/WPRS (International Organization for Biological Control/Western Palaearctic Regional Section) Study Group “Benefits and Risks of Exotic Biological Control Agents” was established to encourage collaborative research on this species and other exotic biological control agents. In this paper we describe some of the current activity in Europe.