Cassida piperata Hope, 1843 (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae), a non-native beetle, new to Italy and Europe

Maintaining sustained vigilance over the introduction and spread of non-native species is of critical importance.Cassida piperata, a leaf beetle native to the East Palaearctic and Indomalayan Regions, has been repeatedly recorded in northern Italy since 2021, where it appears to be established as a non-native species new to Europe. Its local occurrence is discussed, based on records obtained by the authors and from citizen-science web platforms and its potential for further spread in Europe is evaluated through bioclimatic modelling.