Trap-based detection of citrus longhorned beetle ( Anoplophora chinensis ) in forest demarcated areas of Croatia

Citrus longhorned beetle (CLB), Anoplophora chinensis , is an EU quarantine pest whose concealed life stages complicate early detection in forests. Traps are not a standard component of CLB surveillance: the immature stages develop hidden in trunks and roots, adults fly infrequently and disperse over short distances, and the large, conspicuous adults are often reported by the public rather than found by formal surveillance, so visual inspection has remained the standard method. We report trap-based operational detections from 2023–2025 in forested demarcated areas at two Croatian sites, Jankolovica and Rugvica. At Jankolovica, Lindgren multifunnel traps baited with a CLB alcohol lure plus a green leaf volatile host attractant were used; at Rugvica, a canopy-mounted cross-vane trap baited with an Anoplophora glabripennis lure was deployed. Monitoring methods differed between sites and years, so the study was not designed to evaluate trap performance quantitatively. In total, 15 adults were captured, 14 at Jankolovica and one at Rugvica. All specimens were identified morphologically, and two were confirmed by COI-based molecular analysis. These records confirm the presence of CLB in forested demarcated areas in Croatia and show that semiochemical-baited flight-intercept traps can detect the pest under operational field conditions, and can therefore usefully complement visual inspection in forest stands where dense vegetation and stand structure constrain the search for external symptoms.