The flowerbud weevil (Anthonomus santacruzi), which was released in South Africa to reduce fruit production by the invasive bugweed (Solanum mauritianum), is thriving in the coastal regions of KwaZulu-Natal but merely ‘hanging in’ in its inland areas.
A key question in invasion biology is why some regions have more alien species than others. This is likely to depend on features of the local environment, but how humans influence the invasion process is likely to matter as well.
The screening of several biocontrol agents revealed that the larvae of an emerging pest, a sugarcane longhorned beetle, show high resistance to both an entomopathogenic fungus (EPF) and nematodes (EPN).
Biological invasions are a major threat to already complex social-ecological systems and require the integration of knowledge from various disciplines and stakeholders. Accordingly, there have been strong calls for integrated approaches to developing solutions that address the threat.
A new population of African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) has become established on mainland China, according to a new publication by C·I·B Core Team Member, John Measey.