Invasion information |
Range in Japan |
Ogasawara Islands, middle to southern part of Ryukyu Archipelago, Osumi Islands (Yakushima, Kuchinoerabujima, Tanegashima, and Mageshima Is.), southern part of Kagoshima Pref. mainland, and Muroto, Kochi Pref. |
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Origin |
Possibly Taiwan. |
Date |
The first record in Japan was at Okinawa in 1903 or earlier (in 1903, serious agricultural damage had already occurred). After, this species has spread as follows: Amami Islands 1931; Tokara Islands 1933; Kuchinoerabujima Is. 1951; Tanegashima and Mageshima Is. 1959; Kagoshima mainland 1965; Muroto 1995. |
Route |
Accidental: Hitchhiking on Convolvulaceae plants. |
Impact |
Predation on Convolvulaceae plants. Serious agricultural pest for sweet potato. Native organism(s) affected: Convolvulaceae plants; Crops (sweet potato) |
Regulation in Japan |
Quarantine Pest. To prevent spread of this species, import of live vines, leaves, tuberous roots, and other underground portions of plants of Ipomoea, Pharbitis, and Calystegia, live tuberous roots and other underground portions of cassava from areas with Cylas formicarius to Japan is prohibited. In addition, transport of above plants from southern (up to 30°N) islands even within Japan is prohibited (only sweet potato can be transported after quarantine inspection and eradication by steaming) by the Plant Protection Law. |
Introduced range in other countries |
Worldwide in tropical area. Entire Southeast and South Asia, eastern Australia, tropical Africa, Madagascar, Caribbean coastal area in North and South America, Antilles, many Pacific and Indian Ocean Islands. |