Work

Three‐trophic level food webs support the safety of a biocontrol agent 3 years after release

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Biological control (biocontrol) is a powerful tool for managing invasive alien species and assisting the restoration of native ecosystems. Rigorous post‐release monitoring of biocontrol agents is critical to evaluate the success of biocontrol programs; however, this is still rarely implemented. Here, we combined the use of species interaction networks with a Before‐After Control‐Impact design to evaluate the target and non‐target, direct and indirect effects of the Australian gall wasp Trichilogaster acaciaelongifoliae, released to control the invasive plant Acacia longifolia in Portugal. We compared the structure of plant‐galling insect‐parasitoid food webs before and 3 years after the release of the biocontrol agent. Exhaustive sampling did not detect any non‐target effects, either direct (on non‐target plants) or indirect (on other galling insects via shared plants). Additionally, no significant changes were detected in network structure that could be related to the establishment of the biocontrol agent. This study shows that monitoring biocontrol at the community level is possible and that, when carefully planned, biocontrol poses minimal risk of non‐target effects.

Source: Restoration Ecology

DOI: 10.1111/rec.14371

Authors: Francisco A. López‐Núñez, Elizabete Marchante, Hélia Marchante, Ruben H. Heleno

Institutions: University of Coimbra, Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra, Research Center for Natural Resources, Environment and Society

Language: English

Topic: Biological Control of Invasive Species

Subfield: Insect Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDGs: Life on land, Zero hunger

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Supply Chain