Distribution and Hosts of Monochamus galloprovincialis in Tunisia

The pine sawyer beetle Monochamus galloprovincialis is one of the main vectors of the pathogenic pine wood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, the causal agent of pine wilt disease. Although the nematode is absent from northern Africa, the vector M. galloprovincialis has been previously reported in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. Despite these ancient reports, the insect´s distribution, hosts and biology are largely unknown for this part of the world. In this paper, we report on the presence of M. galloprovincialis in Tunisia, and record several new locations and the associated pine hosts, with brief notes on its emergence pattern. M. galloprovincialis was found to be widely distributed in Tunisia, being especially abundant on Aleppo and maritime pine forests. Insect was found to have a one-year life cycle, with the emergence pattern starting in the middle of May and prolonging until August, with a peak in June. This information will serve to develop a map intended to predict the risk of establishment and incidence of the pine wood nematode in Tunisia.