{"id":1667,"date":"2016-04-14T13:26:15","date_gmt":"2016-04-14T11:26:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/cib\/?p=1667"},"modified":"2020-06-02T15:18:24","modified_gmt":"2020-06-02T13:18:24","slug":"cib-workshop-leads-to-special-issue-on-insect-invasions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/cib\/cib-workshop-leads-to-special-issue-on-insect-invasions\/","title":{"rendered":"C\u00b7I\u00b7B workshop leads to special issue on insect invasions"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Workshop
Photo credit: David Richardson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The insects are a group that has been underrepresented in the field of invasion biology, despite their impacts on agricultural production (e.g. fruit flies), ecosystem disruptions (e.g. ants) and vectors of disease that affect human health (e.g. mosquitoes). Further, much of the theory of invasion biology has come from work focused on plant and vertebrate invasions. To address some of the shortfalls, a C\u00b7I\u00b7B supported workshop on the \u201cDrivers, mechanisms, impacts and adaptations of insect invasions\u201d<\/em> was held in November 2014. Around 40 delegates gathered in Stellenbosch to discuss insect invasions, share research results, and propose research directions for future collaborative work.<\/p>\n

Following on from the workshop, a special issue in the journal Biological Invasions<\/em> has now been published. The special issue is guest edited by former C\u00b7I\u00b7B postdoctoral fellow Matt Hill, together with C\u00b7I\u00b7B core-team members, Dave Richardson, John Terblanche and Susana Clusella-Trullas. The team has put together an editorial providing some background on the history and state of the field of insect invasions, and outlining the special issue.<\/p>\n

The special issue sets a platform to advance the understanding of insect invasions, with 13 contributions spanning a range of topics such as taxonomic knowledge gaps, improving methods of detection of new invasions and assessing ecological impacts of new and existing invasions, as well as sources of novel invasive species. The special issue is structured around four main themes: (1) drivers of insect invasions including introduction pathways, dispersal and propagule pressure; (2) mechanisms of invasion including theories surrounding functional traits and life histories; (3) the impacts of insect invasions on agricultural production, human health and ecosystem functioning; (4) and where adaptations facilitating successful invasion and range expansion are likely to occur during the invasion process.<\/p>\n

The collection of articles from a diverse group of national and international scientists working across different aspects of entomological and biological invasions highlights what makes insect invasions unique and where future research efforts should be focused.<\/p>\n

The special issue is available as the April 2016 vol 18 of Biological Invasions<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Articles in the Special Issue<\/strong><\/p>\n