First records of the pest leaf beetle () (Linnaeus, 1758) (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) in Cyprus - a study initiated from social media.

The leaf beetle Chrysolina (Chrysolinopsis) americana (Linnaeus, 1758), commonly known as the Rosemary beetle, is native to some parts of the Mediterranean region. In the last few decades, it has expanded its distribution to new regions in the North and Eastern Mediterranean basin. feeds on plants of the Lamiaceae family, such as , spp., spp., spp. and others. is considered a pest, as many of its host plants are of commercial importance and are often used as ornamentals in house gardens and green public spaces. In this work, we report the first occurrence of in Cyprus and we present its establishment, expansion and distribution across the Island, through recordings for the period 2015 - 2020. The study was initiated from a post on a Facebook group, where the species was noticed in Cyprus for the first time, indicating that social media and citizen science can be particularly helpful in biodiversity research.