Facilitation of Invasive Crop Pests via Climate Change: From Evidence to Mechanisms

A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2024) | Viewed by 11036

Special Issue Editors

Climate Change Biology Research Group, State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
Interests: insect adaptation to climate change; behavioral thermoregulation; microclimate and climatic refugia use; buffering mechanisms to climate warming

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Guest Editor
Climate Change Biology Research Group, State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
Interests: climate change ecology; thermal biology; modeling of population dynamics; pest management

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Globally, climate change and biological invasion are two major challenges, responsible for substantial economic costs and severe ecological consequences worldwide. Insects are the most destructive and costliest invaders among the taxonomic groups. The invasive pest insects are damaging all kinds of crops worldwide, including but not limited to, arable, vegetable, fruit, vine crops. Most invasive insects are major crop pests which have become a huge potential threat to global food security in the context of the increasing global population. More importantly, climate change can promote biological invasion directly by eliminating or reducing abiotic constraints and/or indirectly by altering biotic interactions profiting invasive species, and thus accelerating the establishment and dispersion of invasive crop pests. The mechanisms underlying the success of the invasiveness of invasive crop pests may include increased basal stress (cold, heat, desiccation, starvation, etc.) tolerance and higher phenotypic plasticity in terms of stress tolerance, phenology, behavior and reproductive strategy. Rapid adaptation to environmental change, broader niche breadth—such as the use of diverse host plants—and increased dispersal ability can also facilitate their invasiveness.

The goal of this Special Issue is to complement our knowledge on and deepen our understanding of the facilitation of invasive crop pests via climate change. All studies concerning this special topic from the molecular biology level to the macroscale ecology level will be valuable for understanding how climate change will facilitate the invasiveness of crop insect pests.

This Special Issue will include reviews and research articles focusing on the topic “Facilitation of Invasive Crop Pests via Climate Change: From Evidence to Mechanisms". Please submit an abstract to me prior to submission to confirm that your work falls within the scope of this Special Issue. I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Gang Ma
Dr. Chun-Sen Ma
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • climate warming
  • biological invasion
  • phenotypic plasticity
  • local adaptation
  • rapid evolution
  • basal stress tolerance
  • niche breadth

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 1814 KiB  
Article
An Evaluation of the Crop Preference and Phenotypic Characteristics of Ceracris kiangsu Tsai (Orthoptera: Arcypteridae) under Different Temperatures
by Meizhi Wang, Hongmei Li, Abdul Aziz Bukero, Jinping Shu, Fuyan Zhuo, Linyi Liu and Aihuan Zhang
Biology 2023, 12(11), 1377; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12111377 - 27 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1815
Abstract
The yellow-spined bamboo locust (YSBL), Ceracris kiangsu Tsai, has historically had a significant impact on different bamboo varieties in East Asia and Southeast Asia. Since 2014, there have been many outbreaks of YSBL populations in Laos, and YSBLs subsequently invaded Southwest China in [...] Read more.
The yellow-spined bamboo locust (YSBL), Ceracris kiangsu Tsai, has historically had a significant impact on different bamboo varieties in East Asia and Southeast Asia. Since 2014, there have been many outbreaks of YSBL populations in Laos, and YSBLs subsequently invaded Southwest China in 2020 and 2023. However, there was limited information about the damage to staple crops. Life table parameters and fitness parameters were assessed using wheat, rice, waxy maize, and sweet maize under three different temperatures (25 °C, 30 °C, and 35 °C) in the laboratory. The results indicated that the YSBLs feeding on wheat seedlings displayed a significantly higher survival rate, a shorter developmental time, and a higher adult emergence rate compared to YSBLs feeding on the other host species at 30 °C. The developmental durations of 1st and 3rd instar YSBLs on wheat (1st: 8.21 ± 0.35 d; 3rd: 6.32 ± 0.34 d) and rice (1st: 7.19 ± 0.23 d; 3rd: 9.00 ± 0.66 d) were significantly shorter than those of 1st and 3rd instar YSBLs on waxy maize (1st: 13.62 ± 1.22 d; 3rd: 13.67 ± 6.33 d) and sweet maize (1st: 16.00 ± 1.79 d; 3rd: 18.00 ± 3.49 d) at 30 °C. The body lengths of male and female YSBLs on wheat (male: 29.52 ± 0.40 mm, female: 34.97 ± 0.45 mm) and rice (male: 28.85 ± 0.68 mm, female: 34.66 ± 0.35 mm) were significantly longer than those observed when they were fed on sweet maize (male: 25.64 ± 1.60 mm, female: 21.93 ± 6.89 mm). There were only male adults obtained on waxy maize. The phenotypic characteristics of the YSBLs feeding on rice seedlings were very close to those of the YSBLs feeding on wheat seedlings. A relatively slower decline was observed in the survival rates of YSBL nymphs on wheat and rice compared to those on waxy maize and sweet maize at 25 °C, 30 °C, and 35 °C. In short, this study implied that YSBLs prefer wheat and rice. This study is the first report of direct damage caused by the YSBL to wheat in the laboratory, and its results could be useful in improving our understanding of the host preference of the YSBL and providing strategies for the management of this pest in field crops. Full article
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12 pages, 5480 KiB  
Article
Global Potential Geographical Distribution of the Southern Armyworm (Spodoptera eridania) under Climate Change
by Yu Zhang, Haoxiang Zhao, Yuhan Qi, Ming Li, Nianwan Yang, Jianyang Guo, Xiaoqing Xian and Wanxue Liu
Biology 2023, 12(7), 1040; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12071040 - 23 Jul 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1849
Abstract
The southern armyworm (Spodoptera eridania), a polyphagous crop pest native to tropical America, has been found in Africa (2016) and India (2019), causing defoliation and damage to the reproductive structures of cassava, soybean, and tomato. The damage caused by this pest [...] Read more.
The southern armyworm (Spodoptera eridania), a polyphagous crop pest native to tropical America, has been found in Africa (2016) and India (2019), causing defoliation and damage to the reproductive structures of cassava, soybean, and tomato. The damage caused by this pest to crop systems has raised concerns regarding its potential risks. Therefore, we predicted the potential geographical distribution of S. eridania under climate change conditions using 19 bioclimatic variables based on an optimized MaxEnt model. The results showed that annual precipitation (bio12), mean temperature of the warmest quarter (bio10), and precipitation of the driest month (bio14) were important bioclimatic variables influencing the potential distribution. The prediction showed that the suitable habitat area was approximately 3426.43 × 104 km2, mainly concentrated in southern North America, South America, western Europe, central Africa, southern Asia, and eastern Oceania. In response to global climate change, suitable habitats for S. eridania will expand and shift to higher latitudes in the future, especially under the SSP5-8.5 scenario. Because of the current devastating effects on crop production, countries without S. eridania invasion, such as the European Union, Southeast Asian countries, and Australia, need to strengthen phytosanitary measures at border ports to prevent the introduction of this pest. Full article
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24 pages, 13291 KiB  
Article
Current and Potential Future Global Distribution of the Raisin Moth Cadra figulilella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) under Two Different Climate Change Scenarios
by Bing-Xin Wang, Liang Zhu, Gang Ma, Adriana Najar-Rodriguez, Jin-Ping Zhang, Feng Zhang, Gonzalo A. Avila and Chun-Sen Ma
Biology 2023, 12(3), 435; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12030435 - 11 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2312 | Correction
Abstract
Global trade facilitates the introduction of invasive species that can cause irreversible damage to agriculture and the environment, as well as stored food products. The raisin moth (Cadra figulilella) is an invasive pest that poses a significant threat to fruits and [...] Read more.
Global trade facilitates the introduction of invasive species that can cause irreversible damage to agriculture and the environment, as well as stored food products. The raisin moth (Cadra figulilella) is an invasive pest that poses a significant threat to fruits and dried foods. Climate change may exacerbate this threat by expanding moth’s distribution to new areas. In this study, we used CLIMEX and MaxEnt niche modeling tools to assess the potential global distribution of the raisin moth under current and future climate change scenarios. Our models projected that the area of suitable distribution for the raisin moth could increase by up to 36.37% by the end of this century under high emission scenario. We also found that excessive precipitation decreased the probability of raisin moth establishment and that the optimum temperature range for the species during the wettest quarter of the year was 0–18 °C. These findings highlight the need for future research to utilize a combined modeling approach to predict the distribution of the raisin moth under current and future climate conditions more accurately. Our results could be used for environmental risk assessments, as well as to inform international trade decisions and negotiations on phytosanitary measures with regards to this invasive species. Full article
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Review

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28 pages, 1412 KiB  
Review
The Fall Armyworm and Larger Grain Borer Pest Invasions in Africa: Drivers, Impacts and Implications for Food Systems
by Shaw Mlambo, Macdonald Mubayiwa, Vimbai L. Tarusikirwa, Honest Machekano, Brighton M. Mvumi and Casper Nyamukondiwa
Biology 2024, 13(3), 160; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13030160 - 29 Feb 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3182
Abstract
Invasive alien species (IAS) are a major biosecurity threat affecting globalisation and the international trade of agricultural products and natural ecosystems. In recent decades, for example, field crop and postharvest grain insect pests have independently accounted for a significant decline in food quantity [...] Read more.
Invasive alien species (IAS) are a major biosecurity threat affecting globalisation and the international trade of agricultural products and natural ecosystems. In recent decades, for example, field crop and postharvest grain insect pests have independently accounted for a significant decline in food quantity and quality. Nevertheless, how their interaction and cumulative effects along the ever-evolving field production to postharvest continuum contribute towards food insecurity remain scant in the literature. To address this within the context of Africa, we focus on the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), and the larger grain borer, Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae), two of the most important field and postharvest IAS, respectively, that have invaded Africa. Both insect pests have shown high invasion success, managing to establish themselves in >50% of the African continent within a decade post-introduction. The successive and summative nature of field and postharvest damage by invasive insect pests on the same crop along its value chain results in exacerbated food losses. This systematic review assesses the drivers, impacts and management of the fall armyworm and larger grain borer and their effects on food systems in Africa. Interrogating these issues is important in early warning systems, holistic management of IAS, maintenance of integral food systems in Africa and the development of effective management strategies. Full article
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Other

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4 pages, 1515 KiB  
Correction
Correction: Wang et al. Current and Potential Future Global Distribution of the Raisin Moth Cadra figulilella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) under Two Different Climate Change Scenarios. Biology 2023, 12, 435
by Bing-Xin Wang, Liang Zhu, Gang Ma, Adriana Najar-Rodriguez, Jin-Ping Zhang, Feng Zhang, Gonzalo A. Avila and Chun-Sen Ma
Biology 2023, 12(8), 1045; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12081045 - 25 Jul 2023
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Abstract
In the original publication [...] Full article
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