Invading Species: A Challenge For Pest Management

Abstract:
Global warming together with global trade and tourism gives foreign organisms a lot of opportunities to enter Europe and to find suitable habitats to establish. Many of these species already have a status as pests in their native countries and now start to be of major concern in Europe. A survey is presented on the species which were sent for identification from 2010 to 2014. Of these 128 species 4.0% arrived from the Mediterranean area and 23.4% have their origin on other continents. Invasive species readily accept the conditions of their new habitat. Examples are ants like Technomyrmex vitiensis and Lasius neglectus but also different cockroach species. The strategies of some species, to find ecological niches where they survive or even expand and the challenge for pest control are discussed. Most alien arthropods have a different way of life than native species and require special control strategies. Detailed descriptions of economically important species are often found in their countries of origin or in the American and Australian literature. Modern pest management requires global knowledge of pest control strategies and pest control literature. Some control advice may also be found in the internet, when the respective alien species has been identified.