The paper presents the results of monitoring the spread of the invasive pest of Siberian fir, Polygraphus proximus Blandford, in the Perm Krai. The study compared the effectiveness of transparent and black barrier funnel pheromone traps using an attractant based on (2Z)-2-(3,3-dimethylcyclohexylidene) ethanol. The target species was detected in all seven surveyed municipal districts, confirming its further expansion to the north of the region. It was found that transparent traps demonstrated a higher overall catchability of P. proximus (187 individuals versus 108 in black traps), but the effectiveness of each type depended on the illumination under the forest canopy. A mass capture of the native species Polygraphus subopacus (2,301 individuals) was recorded, indicating the cross-attractiveness of the pheromone composition used and requiring its optimization to improve the monitoring selectivity.

Cherry (Prunus cerasus) is one of the most important stone fruit crops, but its productivity is significantly limited by a range of fungal diseases, the most economically significant of which are moniliosis (Monilinia spp.), leaf blight of cherry (Blumeriella jaapii), and shoot blight of cherry (Thyrostroma carpophilum, synonym Wilsonomyces). This paper presents the results of field studies conducted in 2024–2025 at the All-Russian Plant Quarantine Center in Moscow Oblast, using small-plot trials on the Belye Zhuravli cherry variety. The biological effectiveness of protective measures using experimental biopreparations based on the Bacillus pumilus BZR483 and B. amyloliquefaciens BZR924 strains was assessed. The use of the preparations significantly reduced the development of leaf blight and shoot blight of cherry compared to the control under conditions of a high infection load (2024). Biological effectiveness against leaf blight of cherry was 28.3% (BZR483) and 51.1% (BZR924). The effectiveness reached 21.1% (BZR483) and 61.9% (BZR924) Against leaf blight of cherry in 2024.

Moreover, in 2025, under conditions of a low infectious background, the development of leaf blight of cherry was reliably reduced only with the use of BZR924, the biological effectiveness was 56.5%, the development of shoot blight of cherry was sporadic.

A product based on the B. amyloliquefaciens strain BZR924 demonstrated higher and more stable activity against both diseases. These results demonstrate the potential for further research into the impact of an experimental bioproduct based on the BZR924 strain on the development of fungal pathogens in biologized and integrated cherry protection systems.

The article provides information on the agent of ash dieback Chalara fraxinea T. Kowalski (teleomorph Hymenoscyphus fraxineus (T. Kowalski) Baral, Queloz & Hosoya 2014). This disease poses a serious threat to forestry and biodiversity. It is noted that the pathogen is native to East Asia, where it affects native ash species as an endophyte. However, when introduced to the European continent, it led to the death of up to 90% of ash stands. Based on an analysis of literary data and our own observations, information is provided on the geographic distribution of the pathogen (32 European countries and three Asian countries), the range of host plants (12 ash species and species of the Oleaceae family), biological characters (life cycle with anamorphic and teleomorphic stages), the conditions for the formation of apothecia and ascospores, and pathways. The main damage symptoms, as well as the cultural and morphological characters of the pathogen’s teleomorphs and anamorphs, are systematized. The article includes the author’s illustrations.

In 2024, a dangerous invasive pest was detected for the first time in Penza Oblast — emerald ash borer Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, 1888. The aim of this study was to assess the sanitary condition and compare the susceptibility of various types of ash stands in Penza. The study was conducted in 2025 in 27 stands, divided into three categories: residential plantings, roadside strips, and public gardens. A total of 354 green ash trees (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marshall) were inspected. A sanitary category was determined for each tree, a weighted average sanitary condition category was calculated for each stand, and the resulting data were processed using parametric and nonparametric statistical methods. It was found that the sanitary condition of urban stands ranged from weakened to dying. No statistically significant differences in the damage degree were detected between residential, roadside, and public garden plantings, suggesting a uniform infestation of all urban stand types. No presence of the emerald ash borer was detected in natural forests of Penza Oblast during forest pathology monitoring; however, the risk of its introduction from roadside shelterbelts is noted. Ichthyophages of the Braconidae family, which are considered potential biological control agents, were recorded on affected trees. The obtained data show the high degree of threat to ash stands in the region and the need for further monitoring.

Almost every year, new alien insect species are detected in Crimea. Some of them are prone to mass reproduction, are polyphagous, and can compete with native phytophages in their harmfulness, posing a threat to agricultural, ornamental, and forest crops. In May 2022, in the Balaklava district of Sevastopol, near the village of Rodnoe, agronomist P. Gutovsky detected a large population of a new alien species of coccid Takahashia japonica (Cockerell, 1896) (Homoptera: Coccinea: Coccidae) on Carpinus orientalis. The species is a phytophagous insect of Asian origin. It was first reported in Italy in Europe in 2017. Globally, T. japonica has a limited distribution. Surveys of fruit and ornamental crops in T. japonica outbreaks in 2025 identified host plants damaged by the new alien phytophage and determined the extent of their damage. The morphological and biological characters of T. japonica in Crimea were studied. The phytophage’s exceptionally high fecundity was determined, with actual counts of eggs and larvae in ovisacs reaching a maximum of 7,643 eggs per ovisac 7.4 cm long. The average fecundity of a single female was 4,078.27 eggs, with the number varying from 283 to 7,643. A strong correlation was established between ovisac length and the number of eggs and larvae within it. Original illustrative photographic material was collected to analyze the morphology of females and larvae of this potentially dangerous alien species.

The movement of living organisms from one region to another is global in nature and is an expression of one of the most important trends in flora development. Invasive species impact the environment and economy in various ways, both directly and indirectly. Invasive species are alien plant species that actively reproduce, disperse, and invade natural plant communities outside their natural range, causing significant ecological and economic damage to native species and ecosystems.

The invasion of alien species poses a significant threat not only to biodiversity, when native plants and animals are displaced by aggressive introduced organisms, but also to the economy of agriculture and forestry and even, at times, to human health.

The impact of alien species on flora due to climate change is becoming increasingly significant globally due to their introduction into new habitats. Biological invasions impact the biodiversity of natural communities, alter the composition of regional flora, and transform the landscapes of entire regions. Annual economic losses worldwide caused by biological invasions are an order of magnitude greater than those caused by all natural disasters combined. Invasion success is the result of complex interactions between both biotic and abiotic environmental factors. Alien species must be carefully monitored and assessed for their potential to invade. Early detection is key to effective control of invasive plant species.

In recent years, quarantine fungal invasive pathogens have been observed in natural and agrobiocenoses: Monilinia fructicola (Winter) Honey, Gymnosporangium yamadae Miyabe ex Yamada and Diaporthe vaccinii Shear.