INTRODUCTION There is clear evidence that pollinators, especially native bees, are in decline due to a variety of factors including introduction of pathogens and pests, climate change, loss of genetic diversity, and land use change (Potts et al., 2010). Some authors argue that among these factors land use change is the single greatest threat to the sustainability of native bee populations (Brown &

INTRODUCTION Insect pests are globally important drivers of forest landscape dynamics due to their impact on key forest components, including vegetation structure and composition, water and nutrient cycling, and wildlife habitat (Adams et al., 2009; Boon, 2012; Dale et al., 2001; Hicke et al., 2012; Mcshea et al., 2007; Veblen et al., 1991). Given the importance of climate to the physiological and

INTRODUCTION The spruce bark beetle Ips typographus (L.) is the most important insect pest on Norway spruce Picea abies (L.) Karst in Europe, killing large volumes of mature trees. Tree mortality caused by I. typographus exceeded 150 million m3 from 1950 to 2000 in Europe, and damages have increased substantially in recent years (Grégoire et al., 2015; Hlásny et al., 2021; Jönsson et al., 2012; Schelhaas

INTRODUCTION Plants form symbiotic associations with numerous plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) species, deriving a multitude of growth and protection benefits. Many of these species improve plant biomass, augment flowering and enable toleration of biotic and abiotic stresses (Lugtenberg & Kamilova, 2009). Species of Bacillus in particular are considered to have an important role in the development

INTRODUCTION Biological invasions are occurring at unprecedented spatial and temporal scales (Ricciardi, 2007) and are considered major drivers of global change (Vitousek et al., 1996). The establishment and spread of non-native species have caused ecological impacts worldwide, threatening native biodiversity and ecosystem services (Boyd et al., 2013; Liebhold et al., 1995; Wilcove et al., 1998). Understanding

Most known click beetle (Coleoptera: Elateridae) sex pheromones have been identified from economically important European species. We hypothesized that pheromone components might be conserved between New and Old World species, and so tested blends of known pheromones in California and Washington states. Males of the endemic species Idolus californicus and Idolus columbianus (subfamily Elaterinae) were

1. Better understanding of wood-boring beetle distribution patterns and underlying mechanisms is a central issue for forest protection and management. The primary aim of this study was to detect how these pest guilds are distributed in forests and optimize elimination and control strategies.

Proper management of wild pollinators of agricultural crops requires identification of effective pollinator species. Although non-bee pollinators are gaining increasing attention, small ground-dwelling insects such as ants are often deemed ineffective. However, our previous study found a positive correlation between ant visitations to flowers and seed set in the distylous crop common buckwheat, suggesting

Biological pest control is known to depend on landscape heterogeneity. However, such relationship shows irregular pattern and seems influenced by local farming practices and natural enemies that overwinter within crop fields. The objective of this study was to assess the contribution of emerging natural enemies in spring to biological control, and their response to the interaction between landscape

In Northeast China, thrips have long been considered a secondary pest of soybean until recent years. No study has provided clear reports regarding the effects of temperature on the development and reproduction of Thrips flavus Schrank (Thysanoptera: Thripidae). Our aim was to study whether the population dynamics of T. flavus were affected by temperatures. Thus, the development, reproduction and growth

Climate change affects the life cycle of many species. Yet, responses to yearly variation of weather can either help species track optimal conditions or be maladaptive. We analysed phenological data of 46,479 pine processionary moths (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) during 15 years along an altitudinal gradient in southern France. These larvae were sampled in situ and allowed to pupate in a common garden

Agricultural intensification leads to wide ranging changes in habitats along with reduction in nesting site availability and flower resources for wild pollinators. Yet, little is known about the impact of these changes on functional traits of communal ground-nesting bees. This study assesses the abundance and body size of a common and widespread North American ground-nesting bee, Agapostemon virescens

Genetic variation among host plants can influence herbivore behaviour and consequently their abundance, performance and environmental impact. In the Andean-Patagonian forest, the arboreal vegetation is dominated by species of genus Nothofagus. Previous studies of Nothofagus alpina demonstrated differences in genetic diversity among and within its populations. The native caterpillar Perzelia arda feeds

Incidence of immigration in spruce budworm Choristoneura fumiferana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) was inferred with rules of thumb and numerical thresholds contrasting closed populations (residents >> migrants) versus populations subjected to major immigration event, based on attributes of daily time series of abundance at light traps (abundance, statistical mode, sex ratio and protandry level). The data

Variability in galling caused by Leptocybe invasa Fisher & La Salle has been reported in several species and hybrids of Eucalyptus. Genetic diversity within Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. could confer resistance to L. invasa via variation in plant specialized metabolites or plant responses detrimental to insect herbivores. Moreover, optimal defence theory proposes that plants will invest more constitutive

1. Fertilization input is required to improve productivity and attend the market demand for tomatoes. However, providing crops with nutrients can affect plant–insect interactions via bottom-up effects. The South American tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is a main pest of tomato crops worldwide but little is known about the effects of macro-elements fertilization inputs

In Western Burkina Faso, fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) cause economic impacts. Damage on a mango can reach 100% in late varieties, and on shea fruits, the average attack rate is 66.5%. Parasitoids offer natural biocontrol services, but the potential for this in Burkina Faso remains unknown. We performed a survey (2017–2019) in three plant formations (natural fallows n = 6; agroforestry parks n = 6

Central European forests experience a substantial loss of open-forest organisms due to forest management and increasing nitrogen deposition. However, management strategies, removing different levels of nitrogen, have been rarely evaluated simultaneously. We tested the additive effects of coppicing and topsoil removal on communities of dung-inhabiting beetles compared to closed forests. We sampled 57 021

Lure efficacy for primary attraction of red turpentine beetle, Dendroctonus valens (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) observed previously in US Pacific Northwest ponderosa pine forests is (−)-β-pinene+ethanol > (+)-3-carene+ethanol > (+)-α-pinene+ethanol. Influence of (−)-β-pinene+ethanol release rates was tested with nine lures representing all combinations of three release levels for each compound

We developed a multi-year insect emergence survey for the monitoring and detection of invasive non-native species at two urban arboreta in Boston, Massachusetts and New York City, New York. Arborists pruned and sequestered pieces of these trees for up to 2 years inside emergence containers. Host material was sampled from 117 trees comprising 67 species from the two sites. From these samples, 15 370

Due to increasing difficulties to maintain semi-natural habitat within agricultural landscapes, management of the agricultural matrix may provide a more realistic approach to support farmland biodiversity and associated ecosystem services. We hypothesize that orchard compositional heterogeneity (OCH), that is, different mass-flowering crops with sequential blooming periods, may support pollinators

The expansion of oak processionary moth (OPM) in South-East England continues despite ongoing efforts to control the pest since its introduction in 2006. Using locations of OPM larval nests, supplied by the Forestry Commission and recorded as part of ongoing surveillance and control measures from 2006 onwards, we show that the expansion of the range of OPM in South-East England up to 2019 was biphasic

Pine-tree lappet moth (Dendrolimus pini L.) larvae can be serious defoliators of pine in several countries within mainland Europe. A breeding population of pine-tree lappet moth was confirmed near Inverness, Scotland in 2009, prior to which the species had only been observed in the United Kingdom as an occasional nonbreeding migrant to southern England. To investigate whether a geographic pattern of

The relationship between plant diversity and ecosystems functions such as regulation of insect herbivory is complex and context-dependent. The empirical data necessary to account for these interactions are scarce. Our objective is to test the top-down effects of predation and bottom-up effects of plant traits to understand what drives patterns of herbivory in managed systems. We established single-

Although much research has been carried out to develop taxa resistant to Dutch elm disease (DED), newly occurring pests represent a new challenge for the protection of elms (Ulmacae). The invasive zigzag elm sawfly (Aproceros leucopoda) is a recent invader of Asian origin in Europe defoliating elm trees that are otherwise often characterized with major resistance to DED. The range expansion of this

Hughes and Madden's binary power law was used to analyse sample data of three life stages of gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) and adult emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), both important invasive forest pests in North America. Tally thresholds were used to convert quantitative gypsy moth data to binomial, presence–absence data for binary power law analysis. Presence–absence data from two emerald

Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is a forest pest that damages a wide range of trees in areas where it has recently been introduced, demanding a proactive evaluation of its possible future distribution. This study aimed to project the potential distribution of A. glabripennis using species distribution modelling and constructed an ensemble map for evaluating global

Pollination is essential to fruit production. How plant diversity and blooming events in and around orchards affect the pollinator community and the plant-flower-visitor network in neotropical systems remains largely unknown. We surveyed the flower visitors in deciduous fruit trees and alternative blooming resources (other crops, hedgerows and weeds) in Colombia across 6 orchards over 12 months. We

Helicoverpa gelotopoeon (Dyar) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a polyphagous pest that has been reported causing damage in many agricultural crops such as soybean, chickpea and cotton. This species, together with Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) and Chloridea virescens (Fabricius), belongs to the Heliothinae complex of economic importance in Northwestern Argentina. Many species in

Species distribution models, or SDMs, have become important decision support tools by answering fundamental questions about where species, including invasive species, are likely to survive and thrive based on environmental conditions. For an inexperienced modeller or model reviewer, the terminology and technical aspects of SDMs can be overwhelming, and even well-trained modellers can struggle to understand

Semiochemicals are powerful tools for the surveillance and suppression of forest insects. Although the literature on the chemical ecology of and use of semiochemicals to manage the Cerambycidae is growing, little is known about the chemical ecology of Cerambycidae fauna in Peru. Trapping studies that screen known attractants in off-shore mitigation programs can provide valuable baseline knowledge to

Phytolyma lata-induced galling has remained one of the foremost challenges limiting the regeneration of Milicia species in nurseries and degraded forests in West Africa. Although planting of Milicia progenies resistant to Phytolyma attack has been identified as an opportunity for long-term control of the pest, the absence of biomarkers for early detection of resistance has limited the selection of

Adult emerald ash borers are attracted to green prism traps baited with the ash host volatile (3Z)-hexenol and the sex pheromone of emerald ash borer (3Z)-dodecen-12-olide [(3Z)-lactone]. Quantifying the heretofore unknown range of attraction of such traps would help optimize deployment strategies for early detection. Examining trap captures of traps deployed in pairs at variable distances offers insight

Global climate change affects the frequency of extreme weather events that can influence plant–insect interactions. We evaluated how the late-spring frost and severe drought that occurred in Spain in 2017 affected interactions between the invasive gall insect, Dryocosmus kuriphilus, and the native tree, Castanea sativa. We assessed effects on insect survival, fertility, population growth, and effects

The giant willow aphid (Tuberolachnus salignus) is an invasive pest that can attain large populations on willows (Salix spp.). This has the potential to have a negative impact on the extensive use of willows for soil conservation, and as a source of pollen and nectar for honey bees in New Zealand. A willow nursery field trial was established to evaluate the aphid populations, and the survival and growth

Flower strips can promote and conserve beneficial insects in agroecosystems. Knowing which groups are favoured and which plant traits affect visitation rates by beneficial insects is important for the design of plant strips. We established 21 Native Flower Strips (NFS) in avocado orchards in Central Chile. NFS contained 7–11 plant species, with variable corolla length and flowering period, to promote

The Portuguese millipede, Ommatoiulus moreleti (Lucas, 1860), is increasingly a pest of grains crops in Australian agricultural ecosystems. With the rapid uptake of minimum-tillage practices, habitat quality has been enhanced for several species of soil dwelling invertebrates, in particular O. moreleti. To understand the population dynamics of O. moreleti in Australian grains crops, populations were

Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Banks) (Acari: Tarsonemidae) is a common polyphagous mite in tropical and subtropical areas and is considered as an important citrus pest. To understand the response of citrus to P. latus infestation, we have characterized the volatile profile and the molecular defence mechanisms of two citrus genotypes, namely sour orange (Citrus aurantium) and Cleopatra mandarin (Citrus