To reduce the number of seeds released by Hakea sericea after fires, two seed-feeding insects were introduced into South Africa from Australia in 1970: a seed-moth, C. autologa, the larvae of which destroy the seeds in mature fruits, and a seed-feeding weevil Erytenna consputa, the larvae of which...

Biological invasions have movement at the core of their success. However, due to difficulties in collecting data, medium- and long-distance dispersal of small insects has long been poorly understood and likely to be underestimated. The agricultural release of parasitic hymenoptera, a group of wasps ...

Biological invasions are a major threat to biodiversity and as such understanding their impacts is a research priority. Ecological networks provide a valuable tool to explore such impacts at the community level, and can be particularly insightful for planning and monitoring biocontrol programmes,...

To a large degree, the most serious insect and weed pests around the world are non-native, invasive species. Classical biological control, the introduction of natural enemies of invasive species to limit their populations, is a possible mechanism for alleviating the impacts of non-native pests....

This special issue contains 12 papers presenting a global analysis of life history and discussing paternity after multiple mating, current research and perspectives on parasites, intraguild predation and interactions, establishment, spread and community diversity of H. axyridis. The role of H....

Brazilian peppertree, Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi (Anacardiaceae), is an invasive weed of natural and agricultural areas of Florida, Hawaii, and Texas (USA). Biological control presents an environmentally safe and cost-effective control method for invasive populations of this weed. Though many...

The cassava mealybug is a clear and present threat to the food security and livelihoods of some of the world's most impoverished citizens. Niche models, such as CLIMEX, are useful tools to indicate where and when such threats may extend, and can assist with planning for biosecurity and the...

Increased regulation of chemical pesticides and rapid evolution of pesticide resistance have increased calls for sustainable pest management. Biological control offers sustainable pest suppression, partly because evolution of resistance to predators and parasitoids is prevented by several factors...

This work studied 17 insecticides belonging to nucleopolyhedrovirus (NPV), Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt kurstaki and Bt aizawai), benzoylureas (insect growth regulators [IGRs]), carbamates, organophosphates, spinosyns, and diamides against larvae of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), invasive species in...

Rhagoletis completa Cresson (Diptera: Tephritidae) is native to North America and invaded Western Europe in the late 1980s, causing important damage to its principal host, walnut (Juglans spp.). In this review, we summarize the important elements of R. completa's biology, phytosanitary status and...