Abstract The paper presents information about the threatening spread of an invasive pest of the Cupressaceae family—the cypress rainbow borer (Lamprodila festiva (Linnaeus, 1767)) and the first finding of the pest on the territory of the Istisu-Kaka State Nature Reserve of regional significance (Republic of Dagestan). Reconnaissance studies conducted in 2025 in juniper sparse forests of Foothill Dagestan on an area of more than 80 ha on the territory of the Istisu-Kaka Nature Reserve revealed damage to individuals of the Red Book species of Dagestan and Russia Juniperus polycarpos K. Koch and resource species Juniperus oblonga M. Bieb. As a result of examining about 250 individuals of juniper and processing more than 30 sections, signs of damage characteristic of both species were identified: browning of needles; drying out of individual branches of the crown; flight holes; thickening of shoots in the area of larval laying and caterpillar maturation; caterpillar passages and destruction of wood; drying of the bush. The percentage of healthy, affected, and dry individuals (5, 15, 80% for J. oblonga and 15, 35, 50% for J. polycarpos, respectively) in the population was determined. Taking into account the rate of spread of the pest Lamprodila festiva, the scale and degree of damage to individuals of the genus Juniperus in the population and the absence of phytosanitary measures, we can speak about complete degradation and possible disappearance of juniper populations in the territory of the Istisu-Kaka Nature Reserve and Foothill Dagestan as a whole within a 5–10-year period.
Садыкова et al. (Mon,) studied this question.
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