Summary notes on the distribution and biology of Cameraria ohridella Deschka & Dimic (Lep., Gracillariidae) in Greece.
The horse-chestnut leaf miner, Cameraria ohridella (Gracillariidae) is a relative new pest in Europe and especially in Greece, where it was found for the first time in 1996. In the framework of the EU Program CONTROCAM, in which the Department of Forestry in Drama (Technological Educational Institute of Kavala) participates together with 7 other European partners, the study on this insect started in Greece in 2001. Until now, on-site observations showed that the insect attacks only horse chestnut trees (both wild and ornamental) in different locations in Greece. The moth has not been found on Acer monspessulanum, A. obtusatum, A. hyrcanum, A. platanoides, A. heldreichii, A. pseudoplatanus, A. tataricum, A. creticum, A. campestre (in the forests) and A. negundo (in the parks) in any occasion. From the results of live-trapping by pheromone traps at three different locations in Greece and from phenological observations, we found that this insect usually has three generations per year in Greece. Only under very favourable conditions it may develop a fourth one, like in Ioannina in the year 2003. Another very important feature refers to the differences between the moth population densities from year to year and tree to tree at the same location. These differences require further analysis in terms of the climatic conditions (first case), as well as of the quality of food (second case).