Current status of the rice water weevil Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus in Italy: eleven-year invasion

The rice water weevil Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Brachycerinae) was detected in Northern Italy in 2004. As Italy is the major European rice producer, and the rice water weevil is considered to be one of the major pests of rice in the world, a multiyear study was carried out to determine the spread of the pest in Northern Italy, to evaluate its establishment potential and to improve the knowledge on its biology in this new habitat. The survey allowed the distribution of the insect in Italian rice areas to be evaluated and confirmed that L. oryzophilus behaves as a monovoltine parthenogenetic species in Northern Italy. Information about the phenology of the insect and its management are also provided.