First report of Donus intermedius (Coleoptera: Curculionoidae) as a pest on Melissa officinalis in South Tyrol and its identification by molecular methods.

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) occurs natively in the Mediterranean Area and is widely cultivated as medicinal aromatic plant (MAP). In South Tyrol lemon among most species of MAP. During spring 2019, two field sites with cultivations showed extensive damage on leaves. Injured samples taken from these locations were analyzed presence larvae pupae a Curculionidae, which completed their life cycle laboratory. The adults identified morphoanatomically Donus intermedius (Coleoptera: Curculionoidae). This until now was not known to cause cultivations. partial sequence cytochrome oxidase subunit I, allowed differentiate other genus can be used tool for identification larval stadiums.