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The current climate has facilitated biological invasions worldwide, with the spread of invasive species accelerating over the last few decades. Introductions of species are often accidental and facilitated by many factors, including intercontinental trade. In this paper, we explore the secondary range of an adventive flea beetle native to Asia, Luperomorpha xanthodera, which was recently found in many European countries on several occurrences. This species has detrimental effects mainly on ornamental plants, being destructive to leaves and flowers, which can have serious negative economic consequences. We inferred current and future potential distribution of this alien species using Ecological Niche Modelling (ENM) and analysed the future increase in suitable areas in European countries. Suitable climatic conditions for L. xanthodera are assumed to be similar to that in areas where this species currently occurs, which includes Ireland and some Balkan countries, where the species is not recorded yet. In the future, a North-eastern expansion is predicted, with many countries currently lacking suitable climatic conditions for L. xanthodera becoming suitable and potentially colonizable by this species. The geographic trend revealed and quantified in our analysis follows the increase in the mean temperature in the coldest quarter of the year, which is predicted to rise in the next 30 years. This will result in this species spreading from south-western Europe to North-Eastern countries, such as Poland, Ukraine, Romania, Belarus and Latvia, which should adopt preventive measures to avoid the accidental introduction of L. xanthodera.

In this study, the mitochondrial genome of Luperomorpha xanthodera was assembled and annotated, which is a circular DNA molecule including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes (12S rRNA and 16S rRNA), and 1388 bp non-coding regions (A + T rich region), measuring 16,021 bp in length. The nucleotide composition of the mitochondrial genome is 41.3% adenine (A), 38.7% thymine (T), 8.4% guanine (G), and 11.6% cytosine (C). Most of the protein-coding genes presented a typical ATN start codon (ATA, ATT, ATC, ATG), except for ND1, which showed the start codon TTG. Three-quarters of the protein-coding genes showed the complete stop codon TAR (TAA, TAG), except the genes COI, COII, ND4, and ND5, which showed incomplete stop codons (T- or TA-). All the tRNA genes have the typical clover-leaf structure, except tRNASer1 (AGN), which has a missing dihydrouridine arm (DHU). The phylogenetic results determined by both maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods consistently supported the monophyly of the subfamily Galerucinae and revealed that the subtribe Luperina and genus Monolepta are polyphyletic groups. Meanwhile, the classification status of the genus Luperomorpha is controversial.

The rose flea beetle, RFB (Luperomorpha xanthodera Fairmaire 1888) is a new flower pest in Europe. In 2012, it was brought accidentally to central Poland. To search for this introduced species in the area adjacent to the site of the first finding, 29 plant species belonging to five botanical families (Lamiaceae, Brassicaceae, Asteraceae, Plantaginaceae, Crassulaceae) were monitored over a 3-year-long study (2016−2018). RFB were found on 11 herbaceous/ ornamental plant species (Lamiaceae, Brassicaceae, Asteraceae) along with feeding damage to the flowers. White mustard (Sinapis alba L., Brassicaceae), hyssop (L.), and Monarda spp. (Lamiaceae) were its most preferred host plants. In each season, RFB females preferred host plants which bloomed abundantly and vividly. However, among the examined plant species there was a large variation in the year-to-year RFB abundance. Over the examined period the RFB extended its abundance exponentially, and its population survived and established itself in the area. The general sex ratio of the beetles was strongly female biased. In the female pool, females with conspicuously swollen abdomens predominated. The results of our study provide more insight into RFB behaviour, its establishment and spreading into new areas. To support the evidence for the RFB risk factor as an agricultural/ horticultural pest, further research should focus on the beetles’ biology, reproductive tactics, larval host plant preference, larva-inflicted damage and harmfulness, the impact of the RFB on the native fauna, as well as its further local and distant migration propensity. Presently our knowledge about these aspects is still fragmentary.

A specimen of a flea beetle collected by plant sweeping from an experimental plot of oregano in Warsaw showed characteristics of the invasive species Luperomorpha xanthodera. This beetle, originating from Far East, appeared in Europe at the beginning of this century and seems to extend its range continuously. So far, it has been noted from England, Italy, France, The Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Hungary but not from Poland. Being polyphagous, adult flea beetles of this species may appear in numbers on flowers of various ornamental plants causing considerable damage.