Continental-scale suppression of an invasive pest by a host-specific parasitoid underlines both environmental and economic benefits of arthropod biological control
Year: 2018
Type: article
Abstract: Biological control constitutes one of the world’s prime ecosystems services, and can provide long-term and broad-scale suppression of invasive pests, weeds and pathogens in both natural and agricultural environments. Following (very few) widely-documented historic cases that led to sizeable environmental up-sets, the discipline of insect biological control has -over the past three decades- gone through much-needed reform. Now, by deliberately taking into account the ecological risks associated with insect biological control, immense environmental and societal benefits can be gained. In this study, we document and analyze a rare, successful case of biological control against the invasive mealybug, Phenacoccus manihoti (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) which invaded Southeast Asia in 2008, where it caused substantial crop losses and triggered 2- to 3-fold surges in agricultural commodity prices. In 2009, the host-specific parasitoid Anagyrus lopezi (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) was released in Thailand and subsequently introduced into neighboring Asian countries. Drawing upon continental-scale insect surveys, multi-year population studies and (field-level) experimental assays, we show how A. lopezi attained intermediate to high parasitism rates across diverse agro-ecological contexts. Driving mealybug populations below non-damaging levels at a continental scale, A. lopezi allowed yield recoveries up to 10.0 t/ha and provided biological control services worth several hundred dollars per ha (at local farm-gate prices) in Asia’s 4-million ha cassava crop. Our work provides lessons to invasion science and crop protection worldwide, heralds a new era for insect biological control, and highlights its potentially large socio-economic benefits to agricultural sustainability in the face of a debilitating invasive pest. In times of unrelenting insect invasions, surging pesticide use and accelerating (invertebrate) biodiversity loss across the globe, this study unequivocally demonstrates how biological control – as a pure public good – constitutes a powerful, cost-effective and environmentally-responsible solution for invasive species mitigation.
Source: PeerJ
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5796
Authors: Kris Wyckhuys, Prapit Wongtiem, Aunu Rauf, Anchana Thancharoen, George Heimpel, Nhung Le, Muhammad Zainal Fanani, Geoff Gurr, Jonathan Lundgren, Dharani D Burra, Leo Palao, Glenn Hyman, Ignazio Graziosi, Vi Le Xuan, Matthew Cock, Teja Tscharntke, Steve Wratten, Liem V Nguyen, Minsheng You, Yanhui Lu, Johannes Ketelaar, Georg Goergen, Peter Neuenschwander
Institutions: The University of Queensland, Institute of Plant Protection, International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Zhejiang University, Department of Agriculture, IPB University, Kasetsart University, University of Minnesota, Viện Bảo vệ thực vật, Charles Sturt University, Ecdysis Foundation, University of Kentucky, World Agroforestry Centre, CAB International, University of Göttingen, Lincoln University, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture
Language: English
Topic: Research on scale insects
Subfield: Insect Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDGs: Life on land, Zero hunger
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,395
OpenAlex ID: W2897377673