First record of Serangium montazerii (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae): A new exotic predator of Aleurocanthus spiniferus (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) in Greece

The biodiversity of Greek agroecosystems is constantly changing, with the influx of new species reshaping food webs. The present study contributes to the documentation of Greek fauna by reporting, for the first time, the occurrence of the Asian predatory ladybird Serangium montazerii Fürsch (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). The species was detected in the region of Arta (western Greece), in a citrus orchard where it was recorded feeding on the invasive orange spiny whitefly, Aleurocanthus spiniferus (Quaintance) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae). Identification of the ladybird was confirmed both by morphological traits and DNA barcoding. This finding likely suggests an accidental introduction of the predatory species in Greece together with its prey A. spiniferus . The addition of S. montazerii to the country's recorded biodiversity is considered of significant importance for the biological control of A. spiniferus in citrus groves in the Mediterranean region.