Year: 2025
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: In the Republic of Moldova, the urbanization process is slow and often uneven, generating increased pressure on green spaces, urban infrastructure and local ecosystems. Landscapes contribute to improving the quality of life by exercising essential social functions, ensuring an appropriate setting for public and private outdoor recreation, enhancing the aesthetic value of localities, living and working spaces, and, in certain cases, having cultural, historical or scientific importance. The urban landscape, as a key element of the quality of life and ecological balance in cities, is becoming increasingly vulnerable to disruptive anthropogenic and environmental factors. One of these factors, with a growing impact in recent years, is the emergence and spread of invasive species. Among these, Metcalfa pruinosa Say, an invasive species of planthoppers originating from North America, has proven to have a high capacity for adaptation and dissemination in European urban ecosystems, including those in the Republic of Moldova. The presence of this pest in public gardens, parks, street alignments and urban green areas raises questions about the capacity of authorities and communities to effectively manage such an ecological risk. The mass development of a given species in urban cenoses can cause massive migrations into cenoses of agricultural and forestry crops. In world practice, species of parasites from the Embolemidae family are known, specializing in parasitizing cicada nymphs from the Fulgoridae and Achlidae families. Representatives from the Dryinidae family are noted as parasites of cicadas from the Cicadellidae, Cixiidae and Delphacidae families. The egg stage of cicadas is parasitized by representatives from the Platystasiini subfamily (Platygastridae) and the Eurytomidae family. In the Republic of Moldova, these families of parasites are practically not studied. The purpose of the work was to analyze the impact of the presence of the invasive species M. pruinosa on the urban landscape, with an emphasis on the importance of preserving its structure and functions. Leaf samples of different plant species served as materials. 3 stations were investigated: urban, dendro-urban and agricultural. The area analyzed for the presence of M. pruniosa was 10x10m, by highlighting the plants (trees, shrubs and herbs) that populate the stations. As a result of collecting leaf samples from cherry saplings in station one, a population of 85% of the saplings with larvae of different ages was established. Following the visualization of M. pruniosa colonies, exuviate and nymphs of the last instar of the cicada parasitized by Dryinus victorovi N. were found, which flew in the second decade of June of the following year. From some capsules of the D. victorovi species in April, the secondary parasite from the Pteromalidae family. Predators present in the colonies were represented by dipteran larvae from the families Syrphidae and Pipinculidae, adults of the asian lady beetle Harmonia axyridis and larvae of the neuropterian lacewing Chrysopa ciliata. Thus, the species M. pruniosa poses a danger to the urban landscape and requires in-depth research into both bioecological aspects and trophic relationships with useful species
Institution: Moldova State University
Language: English
Topic: Hemiptera Insect Studies
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W7204697334