BIOLOGY OF THE TALYSH PEONY SAWFLY TENTHREDO (PARATENTHREDO) TALYSHENSIS ZHELOCHOVTSEV, 1988 (HYMENOPTERA: TENTHREDINIDAE) IN DONBASS CONDITIONS

Information on the modern distribution and biology of Tenthredo (Paratenthredo) talyshensis Zhelochovtsev, 1988, a dangerous invasive pest of peonies in Eastern Europe, is presented. The life cycle is monovoltine, eonymphs overwinter in the soil, pupation takes place in early April; imagoes’ flying and oviposition are in mid-April. The larvae develop from late April to mid-June, feeding on the leaves of broad-leaved peony species: Paeonia lactiflora Pall., P. × suffruticosa Andrews, P. daurica Andrews, P. lutea Delavay ex Franch. and P. peregrina Mill. Larvae do not develop on the autochthonous for Donbass P. tenuifolia L., which excludes the possibility of introducing the species into natural communities. The main vector of invasion is the importation of the sawfly in its preimaginal phases with the planting material, followed by independent expansion of imagoes. The absence of broadleaved peony species in the natural ecosystems of the steppe zone is a key factor constraining the expansion of the T. talyshensis range. During mass reproduction, it causes serious damage to flower-decorative plantings.