10 research outputs found
Chemical signatures affecting host choice in the Eucalyptus herbivore, Gonipterus sp. (Curculionidae: Coleoptera)
Pre-selection and biological potential of the egg parasitoid Anaphes inexpectatus for the control of the Eucalyptus snout beetle, Gonipterus platensis
Biological control of forest plantation pests in an interconnected world requires greater international focus
Electrophysiological and behavioural responses of the Eucalyptus weevil, Gonipterus platensis, to host plant volatiles
Identification and genetic diversity of two invasive Pissodes spp. Germar (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in their introduced range in the southern hemisphere
Complex patterns of global spread in invasive insects: eco-evolutionary and management consequences
The advent of simple and affordable tools
for molecular identification of novel insect invaders
and assessment of population diversity has changed
the face of invasion biology in recent years. The
widespread application of these tools has brought with
it an emerging understanding that patterns in biogeography,
introduction history and subsequent movement
and spread of many invasive alien insects are far more
complex than previously thought. We reviewed the
literature and found that for a number of invasive
insects, there is strong and growing evidence that
multiple introductions, complex global movement,
and population admixture in the invaded range are
commonplace. Additionally, historical paradigms
related to species and strain identities and origins of
common invaders are in many cases being challenged.
This has major consequences for our understanding of
basic biology and ecology of invasive insects and
impacts quarantine, management and biocontrol programs.
In addition, we found that founder effects
rarely limit fitness in invasive insects and may benefit
populations (by purging harmful alleles or increasing
additive genetic variance). Also, while phenotypic
plasticity appears important post-establishment,
genetic diversity in invasive insects is often higher than expected and increases over time via multiple
introductions. Further, connectivity among disjunct
regions of global invasive ranges is generally far
higher than expected and is often asymmetric, with
some populations contributing disproportionately to
global spread. We argue that the role of connectivity in
driving the ecology and evolution of introduced
species with multiple invasive ranges has been historically
underestimated and that such species are often
best understood in a global context