Asymmetrical insect invasions between three world regions

By

Isitt, Rylee
Liebhold, Andrew M.
Turner, Rebecca
Battisti, Andrea
Bertelsmeier, Cleo
Blake, Rachael
Brockerhoff, Eckehard
Heard, Stephen
Krokene, Paal, 1965-
Økland, Björn
Nahrung, Helen
Rassati, Davide
Roques, Alain
Yamanaka, Takehiko
Pureswaran, Deepa

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2024

Original Publication

NeoBiota : advancing research on alien species and biological invasions

Volume

90

Pages

35--51

Subjects

international trade , non-native insects , Plants , propagule pressure , species pools

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sophia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.90.110942

 

Abstract

The geographical exchange of non-native species can be highly asymmetrical, with some world regions donating or receiving more species than others. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain such asymmetries, including differences in propagule pressure, source species (invader) pools, environmental features in recipient regions, or biological traits of invaders. We quantified spatiotemporal patterns in the exchange of non-native insects between Europe, North America, and Australasia, and then tested possible explanations for these patterns based on regional trade (import values) and model estimates of invader pool sizes. Europe was the dominant donor of non-native insect species between the three regions, with most of this asymmetry arising prior to 1950. This could not be explained by differences in import values (1827–2014), nor were there substantial differences in the sizes of modelled invader pools. Based on additional evidence from literature, we propose that patterns of historical plant introductions may explain these asymmetries, but this possibility requires further study.