Chestnut gall wasp (Dryocosmus kuriphilus): spreading in Italy and new records in Bologna province

The chestnut gall wasp Dryocosmus kuriphilus Yasumatsu poses one of the most serious threats to chestnut cultivation in the world. After Asia and North America this pest may be spreading throughout Europe. In Italy, as a result of the movement of infested plant material, the natural ability of the species in spreading, and due to the uninterrupted continuity of chestnut stands, the phytophagous, 6 years after its introduction, is already colonizing Italy’s most important chestnut - growing regions.