This chapter presents a study attempting to document the most significant arthropod invasions in mainland South America, with particular emphasis on scales (e.g., Coccidae, Diaspididae and Pseudococcidae). A regional species inventory was developed, based upon (gray) literature revision, and employed niche modelling to visualize the geographical distribution of (potentially) some of the most worrisome species. A broad literature revision was carried out to screen invasive species records in mainland South America. Global (e.g., ISI Web of Knowledge, CAB Abstracts) and regional scientific literature databases (e.g., Scielo) were consulted and queries were formulated for invasive or exotic arthropods. For invasive scales, expert knowledge, e.g., TK, DRM or ALP and specialized databases such as ScaleNet were consulted. Focusing monitoring activities on potential ports of entry could be an effective and relatively low-cost option for early detection of invasive species that enter through cargo or passenger transport.

Background: Practitioners of syncretic religions often incorporate plants into their sacred rituals, a unique practice that helps keep them connected to their cultural history. An important example of ritual plant use is found in the botánicas (religious stores that cater to practitioners of Afro-Caribbean diaspora religions) of Miami-Dade County, Florida (USA).Methods: We examined ritual plants sold in a sample of six botánicas in Miami-Dade County from November 2018 until April 2019. We addressed the following questions: 1) What is the ratio of native to non-native plant species found in the botánica stores; 2) What is the ratio of invasive exotic to non-invasive exotic plant species found in the botánica stores; and 3) What is the geographical origin of plant species found in the botánica stores?Results: Given the study's location in South Florida, the frequency of local native flora sold as ritual plants was significantly smaller than initially predicted (27% vs. 65%). Likewise, actual frequency of invasive species was much higher than the expected frequency (32% vs. 19%). We also discovered that most of the taxa collected during the study were Neotropical (50%) and Asian (25%) in origin, while very few African taxa were documented (7 out of the 93 species identified). Conclusion: These botánicas highlight the reliance of Afro-Caribbean syncretic religions in Miami-Dade County on locally common plants, particularly those taxa from the Neotropics. Future studies should further investigate how these plants are being cultivated, traded, and used by the informal economy associated with urban botánicas.