Lessons from a major pest invasion: The polyphagous shot hole borer in South Africa
Trudy Paap, Michael J. Wingfield, Z. Wilhelm de Beer, Francois Roets
Abstract
The arrival and establishment of invasive forest pests can cause devastating environmental damage and great economic impact. For example, the cost over the past decade of dealing with the arrival of a single invasive beetle in the USA, the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), is estimated at more than USD10 billion. 1 Originating from Asia, this beetle has killed hundreds of millions of native ash trees since it became established in the USA. These invasions are largely unintentional and are a by-product of globalisation and increasing global trade. The movement of living plants and plant products, including untreated wood packaging materials (i.e. pallets, dunnage and crating), is known to be a major pathway for these pests. 9,10 For clarification, in this commentary we use the terms 'insect' and 'pathogen' to distinguish between the two types of organisms, although we also use the general term 'pest' to refer to both groups. The term 'invasive pest' is used for introduced species that, in addition to maintaining a self-sustaining population, show evidence of spread and impact.