Insect Invasive Species: Threat Posed and Collaborative Efforts for Management

Abstract

Insects are a highly diverse group of organisms and their rich diversity is essential for ecosystem functioning. Insects have more influence on agriculture and most agricultural pests are invasive species that have been introduced into a new ecosystem. These invasive species have the capacity to compete, establish and displace the native species and therefore can be a threat to biodiversity. Introduction of such invasive species has increased with the increase in trade across the globe. Therefore, it is pertinent to strengthen the International cooperation and coordination between the affected countries and the country of native origin to identify the threat for the execution of different mitigation strategies. International Organization for Biological Control (IOBC), Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) and the Biotechnology and Biological Control Agency facilitate international collaboration and play a vital role in managing invasions by alien pests. In India, Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage (DPPQ&S), ICAR-NBPGR, ICAR-NBAIR and other crop-specific institutes of ICAR, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India are the bodies engaged in monitoring of invasive insects/invasive alien species. Thus, international collaboration plays a key role in research on the prevention of future invasions, the development of more effective surveillance and eradication methods and the implementation of classical biological control.