Abstract
Invasive alien species are widely recognized as one of the main threats to global biodiversity. Rapid flow of information on the occurrence of invasive alien species is critical to underpin effective action. Citizen science, i.e. the involvement of volunteers in science, provides an opportunity to improve the information available on invasive alien species. Here we describe the dataset created via a citizen science approach to track the spread of a well-studied invasive alien species, the harlequin ladybird Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in Britain and Ireland. This dataset comprises 48 510 verified and validated spatio-temporal records of the occurrence of H. axyridis in Britain and Ireland, from first arrival in 2003, to the end of 2016. A clear and rapid spread of the species within Britain and Ireland is evident. A major reuse value of the dataset is in modelling the spread of an invasive species and applying this to other potential invasive alien species in order to predict and prevent their further spread.
Highlights
Background & SummaryThe invasion process for an alien species involves various stages, notably introduction, establishment, increase in abundance and geographic spread[1]
There are a number of international agreements which recognize the threat posed by invasive alien species, which are designated as a priority within the Convention on Biological Diversity Aichi biodiversity target 9 and are relevant to many of the Sustainable Development Goals
An EU Regulation on invasive alien species came into force on 1 January 2015 and subsequently a list of invasive alien species of EU concern was adopted for which member states are required to take action to eradicate, manage or prevent entry
Summary
The invasion process for an alien species involves various stages, notably introduction, establishment, increase in abundance and geographic spread[1]. We describe the dataset created via a citizen science approach to track the spread of a well-studied invasive alien species, the harlequin ladybird Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in Britain and Ireland. This species was detected very early in the invasion process and a citizen science project was initiated and widely promoted to maximize the opportunity to gather data from the public across Britain and Ireland. Harmonia axyridis is a eurytopic (generalist) species and may be found on deciduous or coniferous trees, arable and horticultural crops and herbaceous vegetation in a wide range of habitats. The time period of the study captures the initial fast spread of H. axyridis (principally from 2004 to 2009) plus a further substantial period (2010 to 2016) in which the distribution of the species altered relatively little, despite many further records being received
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