Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera, Pentatomidae): ten years after in Europe

We describe the situation of the invasion of Halyomorpha halys (HH) in Europe, since its discovery in Switzerland in 2007, but with effective presence since 2004. After a relative stagnation for many years, the dispersal of H. halys seems to increase, probably due to growing populations and passive transport by human activities. We suppose that it is not possible to stop the invasion of this species in Europe due to global warming but mostly to ecological characteristics such as high dispersal capability especially with human assistance , a broad host spectrum, a high female fecundity, and a high overwintering survival. The particularly mild winter 2013-2014 in France and Western Europe may further contribute to its progressive dispersal. It is likely that H. halys is already much wider distributed than previously assumed because it is easily confused with the native species, Raphigaster nebulosa. Most recently H. halys was recorded from Hungary, which is nearly 1,000 km east of its centre of distribution in Switzerland. In France, H. halys was first recorded in the Alsace in 2012, but in fall 2013 it was also discovered 400 km further west in Paris and Ile de France. The ongoing dispersal in western France will be monitored and prevention methods will be investigated. After the first occurrence in 2012, a “citizen-science” type of survey allowed to detect many specimens of H. halys in different areas of Northern Italy, with a bigger nucleus centred in the territory of first detection, in the Emilia Romagna region. As this region has extended areas cultivated with high value fruit crops, field monitoring is currently being performed to verify H. halys presence and damage.