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Corythucha arcuata (Hemiptera; Tingidae), i.e. oak bug is an invasive alien species from North America that has rapidly spread in Europe. It was first reported in Croatia in 2013, and in the following years it has spread rapidly toward the west of the continental part of the country, infesting 200,000 ha of Quercus robur L. forest stands. Oak lace bug causes losses in chlorophyll, which has a negative influence on photosynthesis and transpiration activity, as well as on the health status of oak trees. We conducted our study on two sites in the Mediterranean region in Istria, Croatia, where infestation with oak lace bug has not been recorded. Results showed new records of oak lace bug in Istria. Q. pubescens Willd. is the dominant tree species in Sub-Mediterranean forests in Istria, so it will be interesting to follow the spread and preferences of oak lace bug for Q. robur and Q. pubescens in Istria, as well as in other coastal Q. pubescens and Q. ilex L. forests in Croatia. We assume that the negative influence of oak lace bug coupled with other biotic and abiotic stressors in the Mediterranean region will probably have some influence on the health status of oak trees.

Paper description: Herbivory insects can affect photosynthetic characteristics, foliar nutrients and the oxidative status of plant tissues in different host species. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the effect of oak lace bug ( Corythucha arcuate ) feeding on the photosynthetic characteristics and gas-exchange parameters, mineral nutrient concentrations and potential defense mechanisms (activities of some antioxidant enzymes) on the leaves of Quercus robur L. (pedunculate oak). Elucidation of the physiological responses should contribute to an improved understanding of the mechanisms involved in the response of host plants to stress induced by insect herbivory. Abstract: The spread and occurrence of the oak lace bug Corythucha arcuata out of its natural distribution area across European and Asian countries has been reported during the past decades. The ecological and economic significance of oak stands and the vulnerability of plants to various abiotic and/or biotic factors requires in-depth knowledge of plant-pest interaction. The present study examined the influence of C. arcuata feeding on the photosynthetic characteristics and gas-exchange parameters, mineral nutrient concentrations and defense mechanisms (the activities of some antioxidant enzymes) of leaves of pedunculate oak. The rate of photosynthesis, transpiration and stomatal conductance were lowered by 58.84, 21.66 and 35.71%, respectively, in comparison to non-infested plants. The concentrations of photosynthetic pigments and activities of antioxidant enzymes, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase, were affected by the presence of C. arcuata . To our knowledge this is the first paper providing a report on the physiological responses of Quercus robur plants exposed to C. arcuata infestation. Understanding the impact of pests, such as the invasive species C. arcuata on physiological processes and vitality of young plants and plant responses, could provide a foundation for efficient preservation of oak forests endangered by the oak lace bug. https://doi.org/10.2298/ABS180927058N Received: September 27, 2018; Revised: November 30, 2018; Accepted: December 14, 2018; Published online: December 26, 2018 How to cite this article: Nikolic N, Pilipovic A, Drekic M, Kojic D, Poljakovic-Pajnik L, Orlovic S, Arsenov D. Physiological responses of Pedunculate oak ( Quercus robur L.) to Corythucha arcuata (Say, 1832) attack. Arch Biol Sci. 2019;71(1):167-76.

Corythucha arcuata, the North American oak lace bug feeding on leaves of “white oaks” in its native range, was discovered in Europe in 2000 (in northern Italy). Since that time it has spread rapidly in several European countries where its population outbreaks have been observed. However, the species was not reported from Poland, so far. In this study the potential geographic distribution of Corythucha arcuata was modelled using maximum entropy (Max-Ent) in order to predict the regions of Poland where it would have found the best environmental conditions for its further spread. The results showed that the highest habitat suitability areas were located in the central-eastern parts of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship and in the central part of the Małopolska Voivodeship. However, a precise prediction of the routes of migration of the oak lace bug into the territory of Poland, and the year when it appears in our country is impossible to estimate.