First record of Bruchidius raddianae in Italy: Infested seeds of Vachellia karroo from Lampedusa island (Coleoptera: Bruchidae; Fabales: Fabaceae)

Abstract

Bruchidius raddianae (Anton & Delobel 2003), a species of seed beetle spread in Northern Africa, was detected for the first time in Europe in some localities of the Southern Iberian Peninsula in 2007. In Spain this coleopteran lives on the shrubs of the South African acacia tree, Vachellia karroo (Hayne) Banfi & Galasso, currently present in the Southern Iberian Peninsula. From seeds of V. karroo collected in October 2015, in Lampedusa island, Italy, where this plant is widely spread, 45 specimens of this coleopteran emerged. This observation represents the first record of B. raddianae in Italy and the second one for Europe.