Nacerdes melanura (Linnaeus 1758)

Rittner, Oz & Nir, Assaf, 2014, First records of Nacerdes melanura (Linnaeus 1758) and Xanthochroina auberti (Abeille de Perrin 1876) (Coleoptera: Oedemeridae) from Israel, Zootaxa 3838 (3), pp. 397-400 : 397

Nacerdes melanura (Linnaeus 1758)

( Fig. 1 )

On the 31 th of May 2012 twelve specimens of Nacerdes melanura (Linnaeus, 1758) were collected from buildings in different streets in Nesher and brought to Tel-Aviv University by U. Shalom (Ministry of Environmental Protection). Mr. Shalom reported that N. melanura were infesting some houses in the area for the last 5 years or so. Adults were seen from May to July inside and around the buildings, mainly during the morning hours. Nesher is a small town on the northeastern slopes of the Carmel Ridge, close to Haifa and its harbor. Nacerdes melanura is also known by its common name "the Wharf borer". It is a well known wood boring species with a preference for wet and decaying wood (ISU Extension 2005). Larvae often inhabit wet timber along rivers and harbors and therefore it is considered a major pest in docks and stored wooden objects in warehouses (Unger et al. 2011). It is most probable that this species was introduced to Israel through the harbor of Haifa. On the 16 th of May 2013 the first author (OR) collected a single specimen in a plant nursery in Kefar 'Azar in the central coastal plain of Israel, 6 km East of Tel-Aviv. This is the first record from central Israel and an expansion of its distribution to other parts of the country. We now consider N. melanura as an established new invasive pest species in Israel.

Examined material ( Fig. 3 ): Carmel Ridge , Nesher, 31.v.2012, M. Krinsky (12 exx.); Central Coastal Plain, Kefar 'Azar, 15.v.2013, O. Rittner (1 ex.) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Nacerdes melanura (Linnaeus 1758).

FIGURE 3. Distribution map of Nacerdes melanura (Linnaeus 1758) (black squares) and Xanthochroina auberti (Abeille de Perrin 1876) (white squares) in Israel.