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Invasive species are among the leading threats to global ecosystems due to impacts on native flora and fauna through competition and predation. The lily leaf beetle, Lilioceris lilii Scopoli (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is an invasive pest of lilies (Lilium spp.) and other genera of Liliaceae (Liliales). A habitat suitability model was created using Maxent, to help predict if L. lilii will be able to establish in locations were native North American Liliaceae species grow. The model was created using georeferenced occurrence records from the beetle’s native, naturalized, and invasive range. Model results indicate that precipitation in the driest quarter and annual average temperatures are most strongly correlated with L. lilii distribution, and suggest that the species will perform poorly in very dry, hot, or cold environments. The model also indicates that the beetle should be able to establish throughout the range of most North American Liliaceae genera, including species of special conservation concern. This model can be used by natural area managers to identify areas of high habitat suitability that overlap with vulnerable North American Liliaceae species, and prioritize L. lilii monitoring and control activities as the beetle continues to expand its range.

Three larval parasitoids were imported from Europe to control the lily leaf beetle, Lilioceris lilii Scopoli (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), an accidentally introduced herbivore of native and cultivated lilies in North America. Tetrastichus setifer Thomson (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) was introduced in Massachusetts in 1999, and was found to be established there in 2002. Subsequent releases of T. setifer were made and two additional parasitoids, Lemophagus errabundus Szepligeti (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) and Diaparsis jucunda (Holmgren) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), were introduced. The establishment and distribution of the three parasitoids was evaluated through 2016. Tetrastichus setifer is now established in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine, Connecticut, and Ontario, Canada. Lemophagus errabundus is established in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and D. jucunda is established in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Maine. All three parasitoids have spread at least 10km from release sites. The establishment of T. setifer is associated with a substantial reduction of L. lilii. In time it is likely that the parasitoids will spread throughout the North American range of L. lilii. This process can be accelerated to protect ornamental and native lilies by collecting and redistributing parasitoids to new infestations of L. lilii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A distribution map is provided for Lilioceris lilii (Scopoli, 1763) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). 343 localities in the Nearctic and Palaearctic, including 146 localities in Russia, are shown. Examination of old collections of Zoological Institute (St. Petersburg), Zoological Museum of Moscow State University and analysis of literature revealed, that this species did not occur in northern and central regions of European Russia before 1898, but inhabited European countries, south regions of European Russia (as far north as Voronezh), Siberia and Far East. Now it is a common pest in northern and central regions. L. lilii occurs in following regions of Russia: Altai Prov.*, Altai Republic*, Amur Region, Bashkortostan*, Bryansk Region*, Buryatia*, Chelyabinsk Region, Chuvashia, Irkutsk Region, Ivanovo Region*, Jewish Autonomous Region, Kaliningrad Region, Kaluga Region*, Kemerovo Region*, Khabarovsk Prov.*, Khakassiya, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area*, Kirov Region, Kostroma Region*, Krasnodar Prov.*, Krasnoyarsk Prov., Kurgan Region, Kursk Region, Leningrad Region, Lipetsk Region, Moscow Region, Nizhny Novgorod Region*, North Ossetia*, Novosibirsk Region*, Omsk Region*, Orel Region*, Orenburg Region, Penza Region*, Primorski Prov.*, Pskov Region, Samara Region, Saratov Region*, Sverdlovsk Region*, Tatarstan, Tomsk Region*, Transbaikal Prov.*, Tula Region*, Tyumen Region*, Udmurtia, Ulyanovsk Region, Vladimir Region*, Volgograd Region*, Voronezh Region*, Yakutia, Yaroslavl Region (first records are indicated with an asterisk*).

Identifying routes of invasions of exotic organisms is an essential step to prevent further introductions and to manage established populations. The invasion of North America by the lily leaf beetle ( Lilioceris lilii) is well documented, but the source(s) of the introduced population(s) and the geographical pathway(s) followed by the beetle during its progression in North America remain unknown. We used amplified fragment length polymorphism to characterize the genotype of 516 individuals across 25 locations in North America and 9 locations in Europe. Genetic clustering analyses and principal coordinate analyses revealed clear genetic differences between individuals from Canada and the USA, suggesting two different episodes of introduction in North America, a first one in Montréal, QC, Canada, in 1943 and a second one in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America, in 1992. Population allocation analyses further suggested that the invasive populations of L. lilii originated from northern Europe, probably in southern United Kingdom and the western part of Germany. Finally, dates of first mentions of the beetle across North America, paired with the genetic diversity of the beetles at each location, showed that there are two separate routes of invasion of L. lilii with distinctive patterns of dispersal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An analysis of 415 locations of Lilioceris lilii (Scopoli, 1763), a pest of ornamental liliaceous, allowed tracing the dynamics of the species range in Eurasia from the 18th century to the present. Now the area of distribution is a continuous band across the whole continent, from Portugal to the Khabarovsk krai, but until the end of the 19th century, the range was disjunctive. It consisted of two large subranges: European and Asian. There was a gap of about 2000 km between them. The easternmost of the known European locations of the 19th century lies in Voronezh oblast, while the far west of the Asian location is in the vicinity of Omsk. In Asia, the species ranged in Siberia, the Far East, and northern China. Taking into account the Asian origin of host plants of the lily beetle, as well as the genus Lilioceris in general, it can be assumed that the European subrange is secondary, invasive. The disjunctive range could hardly be of relict origin, since L. lilii can quickly establish and develop vast territories in decades. This ability of the lily beetle is evidenced by the distribution of this invasive species in Britain, Canada, and the United States. From the literature, it is known that in 1688 the lily beetle already inhabited Western Europe, and Siberian species of lilies were first brought there in 1596. Apparently, the pest was introduced together with planting material in this time interval. By the mid-20th century, L. lilii had settled in the Volga region, the Urals, and the south of Western Siberia. Thus, the range gap virtually ceased to exist. In recent decades, the range in the European part of Russia has expanded to the north and northeast. By now, the lily leaf beetle has populated even some areas where its host plants are found only as cultivated or adventive plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The lily leaf beetle, Lilioceris lilii Scopoli (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is an invasive pest of cultivated and native lilies (Liliaceae). This Eurasian beetle was introduced to North America in 1943, and can now be found in nine provinces and 14 states. The lily leaf beetle has already been found feeding and reproducing on several eastern species of native lilies. To help predict where L. lillii will be able to establish in North America and which native Liliaceae species will be vulnerable to attack, a habitat suitability model was created. This model uses specimen location data along with environmental data to produce habitat suitability estimates between 0 (low suitability) and 1 (high suitability). Model results indicate that the beetle should be able to establish throughout the range of most North American Liliaceae, including species of special conservation concern. With the increased utilization of habitat suitability models in conservation management, this model should be consulted, to help plan preemptive monitoring and control efforts for L. lilii in regions, with Liliaceae species of conservation concern. Invasive species are among the leading threats to global ecosystems due to impacts on native flora and fauna through competition and predation. The lily leaf beetle, Lilioceris lilii Scopoli (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is an invasive pest of lilies (Lilium spp.) and other genera of Liliaceae (Liliales). A habitat suitability model was created using Maxent, to help predict if L. lilii will be able to establish in locations were native North American Liliaceae species grow. The model was created using georeferenced occurrence records from the beetle's native, naturalized, and invasive range. Model results indicate that precipitation in the driest quarter and annual average temperatures are most strongly correlated with L. lilii distribution, and suggest that the species will perform poorly in very dry, hot, or cold environments. The model also indicates that the beetle should be able to establish throughout the range of most North American Liliaceae genera, including species of special conservation concern. This model can be used by natural area managers to identify areas of high habitat suitability that overlap with vulnerable North American Liliaceae species, and prioritize L. lilii monitoring and control activities as the beetle continues to expand its range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]