First record of Paysandisia archon Burmeister, 1880 (Insecta Lepidoptera Castniidae) in Calabria (Southern Italy)

The South American palm borer moth Paysandisia archon Burmeister, 1880, is one of the most damaging alien insects, affecting a wide range of palm species in Europe. Since its introduction in 2002, the species has rapidly expanded across most Italian regions. Here we document its first occurrence in Calabria (southern Italy), detected on the Mediterranean dwarf palm Chamaerops humilis L., the only native palm in Italy and an endemic species of the Mediterranean Basin. This record fills the last major distribution gap of P. archon in mainland Italy and underscores the urgent need for systematic monitoring and containment strategies to protect the already vulnerable populations of C. humilis.