Moriarty Science Seminar: Biogeographic and socioeconomic drivers of global insect invasions

R.W. Moriarty Science Seminar Presents: Biogeographic and socioeconomic drivers of global insect invasions

Speaker: Andrew Liebhold, US Forest Service, Morgantown, WV

Biological invasions are largely an unintended consequence of globalization. With increasing mobility, humans have accidentally transported organisms around the world, breaking the geographical boundaries that separated species ranges that persisted for millions of years of evolution. Among animals, insects are the most numerous group of species, with thousands of insect species having been established outside of their native ranges and many of these species causing immense impacts on agriculture, human health and conservation of native ecosystems.

Here, we report on an analysis of historical insect invasions in 11 world regions. We use these data to compare frequencies of invasions among different insect orders and among different insect families. Certain groups, such as the Hemiptera, Formicidae and the Staphylinidae are generally over-represented in non-native insect assemblages, while other taxa are under-represented. These patterns generally reflect characteristics of these insects that cause them to enter important invasion pathways and biological characteristics that facilitate invasions. These results ultimately can be of use when conducting invasive pest risk analysis.

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