Discovery of Serangium montazerii Fürsch (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae) as a predator of Aleurocanthus spiniferus (Quaintance) (Hemiptera, Aleyrodidae) in Italy

During surveys in citrus groves infested by Aleurocanthus spiniferus (Hemiptera, Aleyrodidae) in Sicily (Italy), an exotic ladybug was detected. The species was identified through morphological and molecular techniques as Serangium montazerii Fürsch (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae), which is known to be a natural enemy of whiteflies. Taxonomic and historical notes on the spread of the species are given. The predator is reported feeding on A.spiniferus for the first time and may play an important role in the biological control of the whitefly