All That Glitters Is Not Gold: The Other Insects That Fall into the Asian Yellow-Legged Hornet Vespa velutina 'Specific' Traps.

It is more cost effective to prevent invasions than to eradicate or control invasive species once they are established. We therefore need a thorough knowledge of the pathways by which invasive species are introduced. Prayer animal release is the mainly Buddhist and Taoist tradition of releasing captive animals to gain merit. Although it is assumed to benefit the animals being released as well as the practitioners, prayer release as it is currently practiced has negative impacts that are at odds with the intended compassion. Major impacts are the introduction of invasive species and enhancement of spread and establishment. In this overview, I detail what is currently known about prayer release for aquatic invasions and provide consensus views of the best ways to address any potential impacts. Prayer release is rarely investigated as a potential pathway for introduction of invasive species and there is a marked lack of research on the subject, especially in aquatic ecosystems. Invasion researchers urgently need to 1) conduct research to establish the extent and impacts of prayer release, 2) engage with faith-based groups to encourage alteration of the practice so that it maintains its spiritual intent while promoting ecological responsibility, and 3) recognize prayer release as a major pathway for the introduction of invasive species.

In a world where heightened airport security is the norm, Australia and New Zealand might seem like a parallel universe. Dogs patrol airport aisles, sniffing not for illegal drugs, but for wayward fruits and vegetables. While the luggage of outgoing passengers may be X-rayed for weapons, incoming visitors have their suitcases scanned for any kind of biological material. You can be required to surrender your shoes, not because they might contain explosives, but because you neglected to clean them off after hiking in some foreign rural area. The security in question is biosecurity—protection against incoming exotic species—and at these checkpoints, no packet of garden seed is too innocent to be seized. Both countries have powerful incentives for such stringent enforcement. Although Australia and New Zealand are highly urbanized societies, their economies feature a significant agricultural sector that is exceptionally vulnerable to the ravages of invasive species. More recently, though, many observers are adding the prospect of human health issues to the toll exacted by exotics. In fact, the gauntlet found at these countries’ international airports is just the most obvious aspect of how seriously local authorities and scientists regard the issue of biosecurity. Government policies and academic institutions regularly adopt a unique focus on the way in which plants and animals cross national boundaries, a perspective that may look downright xenophobic at first glance. Nevertheless, the experience of Australia and New Zealand can provide a valuable example to parts of the world that treat their boundaries in a more casual fashion, at least from a biological point of view. Accomplishments in these countries can offer important lessons to any country that must confront the combined impact of rising volumes of international trade and shifting climate patterns.

Estuarine and wetland ecosystems are becoming increasingly altered by the concentration of human population near the coastline. A major threat to biodiversity related to this human footprint is the introduction of invasive alien species, particularly in isolated ecosystems like islands where biological invasion is often harmful. The National Park of Ehotilés Islands is an archipelago of 6 islands and a RAMSAR site subjected to disturbances activities like agriculture, illegal fisheries, and tourism. These factors often act as an accelerator for the introduction of invasive species. However, there is a lack of research conducted on insects, specifically ants on these islands. This study aimed to inventory the present ant fauna and estimate the vulnerability to tramp and potential invasive ant species. Ants were collected using Winkler, pitfall, and funnel traps on five islands. In total, 76 ant species were recorded. These species are distributed into 20 genera and five subfamilies: Dolichoderinae (5 species), Formicinae (11 species), Myrmicinae (49 species), Ponerinae (11 species) and Proceratiinae (1 species). We also detected two tramp and potentially invasive species: the ghost ant Tapinoma melanocephalum and the big-headed ant Pheidole megacephala. Ant communities are dominated by six species, namely Odontomachus troglodytes, Oecophylla longinoda, Nylanderia lepida, Pheidole sp.2, Monomorium invidium, and the invasive ghost ant Tapinoma melanocephalum. This work is the first to inventory ants on the Islands of Ehotilés National Park and may serve as a basis for conservation decisions as it demonstrates that this park is not spared from the introduction of invasive ant species.

An integrated policy framework and plan of action to prevent and control plant invasions in India

Invasive alien species and planetary and global health policy

Invasions of nonindigenous organisms have long been linked to trade, but the contribution of individual trade pathways remains poorly understood, because species are not observed immediately upon arrival and the number of species arriving annually is unknown. Species interception records may count both new arrivals and species long introduced. Furthermore, the stock of invasive insect species already present is unknown. In this study, a state-space model is used to infer the stock of detected as well as undetected invasive insect species established in the United States. A system of equations is estimated jointly to distinguish the patterns of introduction, identification, and eradication. Introductions of invasive species are modeled as dependent on the volume of trade and arrival of people. Identifications depend on the public efforts at invasive species research, as well as on the established stock of invasive species that remain undetected. Eradications of both detected and undetected invasive species depend on containment and quarantine efforts, as well as on the stock of all established invasive species. These patterns are estimated by fitting the predicted number of invasive species detections to the observed record in the North American Non-Indigenous Arthropod Database. The results indicate that agricultural imports are the most important pathway of introduction, followed by immigration of people. Expenditures by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Agricultural Research Service are found to explain the species identification record well. Between three and 38 invasive insect species are estimated to be established in the United States undetected.

Opportunities for regional collaboration and prevention: Assessing the risk of the live bait trade as a pathway of invasive species

The national invention of the forests of the Republic of Srpska established over 100 species, with the entire volume of wood mass being dominated by deciduous trees (beech 45%, oak 8%, other deciduous trees 7%, tribal deciduous trees 3%). Beech has the largest share in state forests in the supplies (43%), followed by fir about 20%, and spruce by 16%. Of the harmful endomofauna of fir, one third are gradeogenic species, which can cause great economic and environmental damage. Harmful endomofauna of beech number 32 species, of which economically significant primary species are prone to mass occurrences and trophical relations related to the leaf (15.75% of species). Harmful endomofauna of oak species represent 40 most common species. Outbreaking primary species make up one quarter, feed predominantly on leaves and cause defoliation (50%). Harmful for seeds or acorns are 15% of pests, which can have a detrimental effect on the reproduction and regeneration of oak forests. The most common pests in spruce forests are species that occur frequently and can only occasionally cause minor damage (56.25%). The most economically important are bark beetles and wood borers, which tend to outbreak (12.5%) and cause dammage on a hudge area. Outbreaking species are also pest of seed and cones, which participate in the spruce pest complex with 14.58%. Pests in nurseries are important for reproduction in forestry and for providing nursery stock for the establishment of green infrastructure. Of the 54 harmful species, almost a quarter are non-native species (24.07%). Often, non-native pests are transferred from nurseries to public green spaces, green corridors, and entrepreneurs are ofteen serving as a pathway for introduction of non-native harmful species into forest ecosystems. Therefore, ornamental plants are rightly considered the most important pathways for introduction of invasive alien species in mannaged and protective forests. Non-native and invasive species that are introduced in the Republic of Srpska e.g. emerging pests are folowing: Aproceros leucopoda, Cameraria ohridella, Corythucha arcuata, Corythucha ciliata, Cydalima perspectalis, Eopineus strobi, Gillettella cooleyi, Leptoglossus occidentalis, Metcalfa pruinosa, Obolodiplosis robiniae, Phyllonorycter platani, Pseudaulacaspis pentagona, Stictocephala bisonia etc. Most of these species are pests in nurseries and ongreen infrastructure. Some native insect species appear as emerging pests due to their increase of population , as an answer to changing weather conditions. One example is the ash wasp Tomostethus nigritus (F.) (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae), which in the last ten years appear in local outbreaks in tree lines or other green areas at the territory of Southeastern Europe from the Balkan Peninsula to the Nordic countries. Increased populations of Zeuzera pyrina (Lepidoptera: Cossidae) were also applied in nurseries and on elements of green infrastructure. Due to the climate change, the species Ovalisia (Palmar) festiva migrated from the Mediterranean area, setting a dangerous pest in nurseries, while the linden bug Oxycarenus lavaterae is common on lindens, building large colonies but so far with no significant damage on trees. In order to prevent introduction and stop the spread of alien invasive species, there is need to ensure the maintenance of a high level of health protection status in agriculture, green infrastrucrure and forestry.

In China, aquatic ecosystems have been highly disturbed by the introduction and spread of non-native invasive species. Unfortunately, problems of biological invasions in aquatic ecosystems have been largely overlooked and lessons from known disasters are learned slowly, despite that negative effects are frequently detected and reported. Here, we review the available literature to generate a list of invasive species in aquatic ecosystems in China. We summarize five major negative effects caused by invasive species, including habitat damage, community change, pests of agriculture and aquaculture, biodiversity loss, and genetic pollution/extinction. We discuss three major vectors (aquaculture, shipping, and aquarium and ornamental trades) responsible for the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species. Finally, we propose and call for management of vectors responsible for the introduction and spread of invasive species in China.

Freshwater ecosystems are threatened by the introduction of invasive species. Generalist invaders often compete with native species for shared resources, resulting in possible native species niche displacement. However, environmental heterogeneity may modulate the level of individual specialisation in invasive species, altering the outcome of interspecific competition between invasive and native species. The objectives of our study were to (1) evaluate the environmental context of dietary specialisation and trophic position of an invasive species according to the Environmental Matching Hypothesis (EMH), and (2) consider how the environmental context of invasive species dietary resource use may influence the dietary niche of native species competing for similar resources. Resource use, trophic position and dietary niche were determined using gut content and stable isotope analyses for the invasive round goby (Negobius melanostomus) and the native yellow perch (Perca flavescens), along environmental gradients in an invaded fluvial ecosystem. Our results were in support of EMH for the invader diet and resource specialisation, but not trophic position. Under environmental conditions of high water‐conductivity, round gobies were generalists feeding mostly on pelagic prey. Under more challenging environmental conditions of low water‐conductivity, the invader specialised on preferred high‐quality benthic prey. The ecological impact of the round goby was greatest at low water‐conductivity sites where the invader was a benthic specialist; there was a greater relative dietary niche overlap between the invader and the native species. Our study uniquely illustrates how invasive species’ resource specialisation can be modulated by spatial environmental heterogeneity within ecosystems, and how this can subsequently alter the ecological impact of the invader on native species in aquatic food webs.

Vespa velutina nigrithorax (VVN), commonly known as Asian wasp because endemic in Asia, represents an alien species in Europe. VVN can induce allergic reactions similar to those caused by other Hymenoptera and deaths after VVN stings, presumably due to fatal allergic reactions, were reported. In the treatment of Hymenoptera venom hypersensitivity, specific immunotherapy (VIT) is highly effective, and the vaccine allergen-specificity plays a crucial role. Currently, there is no specific available VIT for VVN, so VVN stung patients with severe systemic reactions are treated with Vespula spp (Vspp) venom. It is also relevant to assess if patients stung by VVN and showing allergic reactions could be treated with the Hymenoptera commercially available extracts Vespa crabro (VC) and Vspp, or if they need the specific VIT with VVN venom extract. Our results suggested that both Vspp and VC venoms were able to inhibit the specific IgE for VVN, although the VC venom, compared to the venom of Vspp showed a higher inhibition.

Economic costs of invasive non-native species in urban areas: An underexplored financial drain

To understand the effects of invasive species on soil hydraulic properties is a challenging task for Neotropical dry ecosystems because the relative paucity of knowledge of linkages between functional traits of species in response to drought conditions and land-cover transformation contexts. We tested whether functional strategies vary between native and invasive plants and if these differences have impact on processes at ecosystem level. Eight functional traits in wood and leaves of all woody species reported in our study area were measured. Over two contrasting climatic seasons and three vegetation covers, we measured four water regulation properties of soils. We found that forest covers showed higher values of hydraulic conductivity, water infiltration rate, volumetric water content and lower penetration resistance (lower compaction) of soils for both climatic seasons than other vegetation covers. In contrast, zones dominated by invasive species and degraded covers showed greater similarity between hydraulic properties in the soil and high variation among climatic seasons. Additionally, evergreen and deciduous species were functionally different, and invasive evergreen legumes were characterized by acquisitive hydraulic traits but leaf, height and wood density related with conservative strategies. The dominance of functional traits, mainly hydraulic traits, was correlated with volumetric moisture content of the soil. The functional differences between invasive and native species explained the lower soil moisture and greater soil compaction values in invasive covers compared to the forest covers. These results confirm that introduction of invasive species have an impact on soil ecosystem properties on tropical dry forests. Additionally, it is possible that invasive species can help to recover some hydraulic properties and can facilities the restoration processes in degraded areas where the native species failed to colonize.

The Lake Champlain Basin is threatened by several non-native invasive plant and animal species. The U.S. states of Vermont and New York, and the province of Quebec, Canada share the Lake Champlain watershed. The three jurisdictions work together to protect their water resources and implement Opportunities for Action, a long-term watershed management plan for the Basin. Together they recognise the need to control the introduction, spread, and impact of non-native invasive species in order to preserve the biological and ecological integrity of the Lake Champlain ecosystem independent of political borders. The Lake Champlain Basin Program Aquatic Nuisance Species Subcommittee is developing an invasive species rapid response action plan that addresses invasive species control and spread prevention in the Basin. A rapid response is an effort to contain and control non-native invasive species introductions while they are localised in a short amount of time, such as weeks or months, before they become established and more expensive to manage. Lake managers, policy makers, scientists, academics, and representa- tives of local watershed organisations from the three jurisdictions have shared information and data to foster the development of a comprehensive plan. Gaps in interstate and inter-jurisdictional laws and policy have been identified by reviewing all necessary permits for aquatic invasive species control methods. Examining the interface of law, policy, and permits aids in identifying regulatory and policy inadequacies, and opportunities for corrective legislation. Partnering among diverse organisations has allowed strategic invasive species rapid response planning that builds on managers' and policy makers' concerns, provides options, fosters inter-jurisdictional cooperation, and considers social, economic, and political impacts of invasive species man- agement. The rapid response planning process identifies lead agencies from each of the three jurisdictions, recommends the formation of one governing body, and includes detailed steps of a rapid response process. The goal of the rapid response plan is to foster dialogue among permit applicants, scientists, and regulatory agencies, to ensure the fastest action possible. The Lake Champlain Basin invasive species rapid response planning process provides an applicable model for the United Nations Educa- tional Scientific Organisation Hydrology for the Environment, Life, and Policy (HELP) basins around the world.

Abstract: We analyze the linkage between trade policy and invasive species (IS) hazard in the context of two-way trade and multilateral trade liberalization. Both intra-industry trade and multilateral trade liberalization are actual features of agricultural trade patterns and policies in the real world. We revisit the reciprocal-dumping model with differentiated products, adding trade and agricultural policies into the framework in the presence of invasive-species risk associated with agriculture. We look at multilateral trade liberalization, with countries jointly reducing their agricultural tariffs. This type of multilateral trade integration is much more likely to increase the damage from IS than predicted by unilateral trade liberalization under the HOS framework. We document the non-monotonic relationship between policy reforms including trade liberalization and farm policy and the damages from exotic species introductions. Relevance and Motivations: The links between international trade and the environment, are multiple, complex and have been a topic of continuing heated debate. International trade can be an important driver of environmental change. Recent literature has been focusing on accidental introductions of exotic or invasive species (IS) like pests, weeds, and viruses, by way of international transport of commodities, which is an important aspect of this complex nexus (Perrings, Williamson and Dalmazzone; Mumford). The trade and environment interface is almost inherent to the economics of IS since trade is a major vector of propagation of these species, although it is not the only one. “Natural” invasions occur because of natural vectors (weather related ones, animal migration). The current economic literature is mostly focused on the “right” criteria to use or the optimal environmental policy response to the hazard of IS (Sumner; Binder). A related debate evolves around quarantine as a legitimate policy response to phyto-sanitary risk (Cook and Frazer; Anderson et al.) Agricultural imports have always been an important conduit for biological invasions. The agricultural tariff structure, because of its strong influence on trade flows, is therefore an important issue to understand the hazards of IS introductions. In a standard one-way trade Hechsher-Ohlin-Samuelson (HOS) model, Costello and McAusland show that lowering agricultural tariffs could lower the damage from exotic species, even though the volume of trade rises, because an increase in imports results in a reduced domestic agricultural output, and thus the quantity of crops susceptible and available for damage and the amount of land that is disturbed and thereby aiding the propagation of exotic species. What we do: The objective of our paper is to expand and build upon the analysis of Costello and McAusland which was based on the HOS model and unilateral trade liberalization. We study the linkage between trade distortions and damages associated with IS risk in the context of two-way trade. We believe that two-way trade or intra-industry trade characterizes agricultural trade patterns in the real world, and that the one-way trade framework has a limited empirical relevance in this context (e.g., two-way trade in grains, or more specifically in wheat). We also depart with the previous analysis by considering multilateral trade liberalization. Trade integration has been occurring mostly in the context of WTO multilateral or multilateral reforms (e.g., The Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture, Free Trade of the Americas). Seldom do countries engage in unilateral trade liberalization but rather commit to jointly reduce their protection through regional or multilateral agreements. Another argument to consider joint reforms is that transaction costs have been falling in most countries for both exports and imports through cheaper transportation, cheaper refrigeration and insurance and the joint tariff reforms also mimic the lower transaction costs on both sides of any border. Approach and Methodology: We revisit the reciprocal dumping model with differentiated products by adding the trade and agricultural policies into the framework. We also consider joint tariff reductions and their effect on expected IS damage. We characterize damages from IS as in Costello and McAusland. We find that this type of trade integration is much more likely to increase expected damage from exotic species especially in a two-way trade model as compared to unilateral liberalization in a one-way trade context. We also consider domestic farm subsidies. OECD agriculture is characterized by generous agricultural subsidies which have to a large extent, substituted for the lower border protection (OECD 2003). We consider this second best dimension of domestic subsidies in integrated markets and their role on IS risk. Increasing farm subsidies exacerbate IS risk as expected by maintaining large agricultural land bases. Finally we document the non-monotonic relationship between trade reforms including trade liberalization and production subsidy adjustment and the damages from exotic species introductions.