LAUSR

BACKGROUND Toumeyella parvicornis is an invasive soft scale insect native to North America that is rapidly spreading in Italy and France, provoking severe infestations on Pinus pinea L. To date, the control of this pest is entrusted to three endotherapic techniques whose short-term efficacy is partially known. No information on long-term efficacy is currently available, although fundamental. This work aims to firstly report the long-term effect that abamectin-based insecticides, injected with the three different techniques, have on adult female populations. RESULTS The study was carried out in an infested P. pinea forest in the area of Rome, Italy. Results showed that the tested methods had a similar long-term effect, and only in one case there were differences with the untreated control. Multiresidue analysis reported a zero level of abamectin in plant tissues 14 months apart from injection, except for one treatment where pesticide concentration was just above the limit of quantification. CONCLUSIONS This study represents a first long-term evaluation about endotherapic control strategy against T. parvicornis. In fact, despite the pest may quickly bring the stone pines to the death and to the fall, representing this a concerning risk for the citizens, control actions to manage it are still partially known and deserve more in-depth investigations.