Calophya rhois

Calophya rhois (Löw, 1877) Feeds on In Bulgaria, adults and immatures were collected on Cotinus coggygria Scop. (Klimaszewski 1964, Harizanov and Lauterer 1968, our data), which is the confirmed host plant (Burckhardt and Basset 2000, Burckhardt and Mühlethaler 2003). Distribution General distribution. Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, China. Distribution in Bulgaria (Fig. 33 b). Published records: BN, RRW (Klimaszewski 1964, Harizanov and Lauterer 1968). Material examined: BS, ROP, RRW, SPW. Notes Calophya rhois was apparently introduced into several countries of central and western Europe together with its host plant, Cotinus cogyggria, which is often planted as an ornamental in parks and gardens (Burckhardt and Mühlethaler 2003, Mifsud et al. 2010). Burckhardt and Basset (2000) and Burckhardt and Mühlethaler (2003) hypothesised that C. rhois is native to East Asia and was introduced to Europe and the Caucasus. However, Cotinus cogyggria has a very wide range extending from the southern parts of Central Europe to central and southern China and is also considered native to the Bulgarian flora (Assyov et al. 2012, POWO 2024). Calophya rhois is common in southern Europe and has been listed amongst the native species of psyllids in Italy (Conci et al. 1996), Slovenia (Seljak 2020) and north-eastern Turkey (Burckhardt 1988). Therefore, it is possible that C. rhois is an autochthonous species occurring spontaneously in natural habitats at least in the southern parts of Bulgaria. On the other hand, C. cogyggria is also often planted as an ornamental plant in Bulgaria. Our record from SPW was made along a road near an agricultural field, where C. cogyggria and C. rhois were apparently introduced. Diagnosis Adult (Fig. 33 a). Vondráček (1957 a), Hodkinson and White (1979). Fifth-instar immature. Loginova (1968), White and Hodkinson (1982).