20.500.12556/DKUM-95612 Ragweed leaf beetle Ophraella communa LeSage, 1986 (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) successfully crossing the Slovenian-Austrian border In the past two decades, several alien insect species have been introduced to Europe. One of these is the chrysomelid beetle Ophraella communa, a promising biocontrol agent against its host plant, Ambrosia artemisiifolia. Ambrosia artemisiifolia produces highly allergenic pollen that causes significant health issues, leading to substantial healthcare costs. Since its first recorded occurrence in Italy and Switzerland in 2013, O. communa has been rapidly spreading across Europe. In 2023 and 2024, we monitored 27 populations of A. artemisiifolia in various habitats in northeastern Slovenia and one population across the border in Austria. We recorded the presence of O. communa, its developmental stages, herbivory damage, and associated fauna. Ambrosia artemisiifolia population sizes ranged from a single plant to entire fields with over 100 individuals. We confirmed the presence of O. communa in 89% of the monitored Slovenian populations as well as in the Austrian site. Ophraella communa was observed in Radkersburg, Austria, on July 31, 2024, with a single adult specimen found in a large A. artemisiifolia population growing in a pumpkin field. One week later, eggs were detected, and by the end of August, all developmental stages of O. communa were present. Despite this, the herbivory rate remained relatively low in all monitored populations. The accompanying fauna of A. artemisiifolia in agricultural fields included several specimens of Corythucha arcuata. In an urban environment, at a ruderal parking lot in Maribor, we observed one adult Cicadella viridis on an A. artemisiifolia stem and a final instar of Zicrona caerulea preying on a larva of O. communa. This research provides valuable insights into the dynamics of invasive species and their rapid range expansion. biological invasions alien insects herbivory biocontrol range expansion ambrosia biološke invazije rastlinojedstvo biokontrola širitev območja razširjenosti ambrozija true false true Angleški jezik Slovenski jezik Znanstveno delo 2025-10-01 09:57:01 2025-10-01 09:57:02 2025-10-02 03:19:52 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2025 0 0 str. 565-574 št. 3 Letn. 14 2025 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno NiDoloceno 2025-01-28 2025-04-25 2025-07-14 595.76 251216899 10.3391/bir.2025.14.3.07 2242-1300 RAZ_Sipek_Mirjana_2025.pdf RAZ_Sipek_Mirjana_2025.pdf 1 403FE02297BAC2E8BFC1995292EBB52F b9b4ce69ea1644aabb9c6a908b5591149fe02d837d07541f1a5212b278a7c523 75aa0a5c-9e9c-11f0-823e-00155d000105 https://dk.um.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=199440 https://doi.org/10.3391/bir.2025.14.3.07 0 b41133c1-9e9c-11f0-823e-00155d000105 https://dk.um.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=199441 Fakulteta za naravoslovje in matematiko 0 0 0