Investigating beetle communities in and around entry points can improve surveillance at national and international scale

Abstract

Beetles are commonly moved among continents with international trade. Baited traps set up in and around entry points are commonly used to increase chances of early-detection of incoming species and complement visual inspections. A still underestimated benefit of this surveillance approach is the high number and diversity of collected bycatch species. In this study, we exploited a multiyear surveillance program carried out with baited traps at five Spanish ports and their surrounding natural areas to investigate i) the importance of identifying bycatch to more promptly detect nonnative species belonging to non-target groups; ii) patterns of native and nonnative species richness and abundance inside the port areas vs. surrounding natural areas; iii) the occurrence of spillover events between natural areas surrounding ports and the port areas, and iv) whether the native species most commonly introduced into other countries are more abundant in port areas than in surrounding natural areas. A total of 23,538 individuals from 206 species representing 33 families were collected. The number and taxonomic diversity of the 26 bycatch nonnative beetle species testified that the identification of these unintentionally trapped species can provide additional information on ongoing invasions. Patterns of spillover and native species richness and abundance in port areas vs. surrounding natural areas highlighted a differential ability of different beetle families to colonize port areas. Finally, native species most commonly introduced into other countries were more abundant in port areas than in their surroundings, while the opposite trend occurred for native species that have not been introduced elsewhere. Our study highlighted that the use of traps baited with generic attractants can aid in early-detection of nonnative beetle species, and that the identification of native species can provide useful information on the risk of introduction in other countries.

Simultaneous detections of Olenecamptus bilobus (Fabricius, 1801) (Cerambycidae, Dorcaschematini) in Europe

“… bilobus on the island of Lemnos (Greece) is mostly attributable to naval traffic; it is, in fact, widely recognised that naval transport is the main pattern for the induction of non-native wood-boring beetles ( Meurisse et al 2019 ); however, given the short distance between the discovery area and the local airport (~ 5.5 km), it is not possible a priori to exclude transport by air. Similarly, the specimens collected in Les Salades (Elche, Spanish mainland), were collected not at great distances from Alicante's airport and port (~ 7.5 and ~ 13 km, respectively), an area where other non-native beetles were found in previous monitioring activities ( Gallego et al 2022 , Mas et al 2023 ). In both cases, however, the fact that the specimens were recorded in areas hosting plant nurseries would seem to suggest the import of non-native plants for ornamental purposes as the most plausible vector of introduction; this condition has already been noted for other non-native Cerambycidae to Europe ( Cocquempot 2006 , Cocquempot and Lindelöw 2010 ).…”

From a cause of rapid fig tree dieback to a new threat to mango production: the invasive bark beetle Cryphalus dilutus Eichhoff (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) and its associated fungi found on mango trees in Europe

“…The number of invasion events caused by bark beetles and associated microorganisms in new environments has increased rapidly in recent decades (Biedermann et al., 2019; Faccoli et al., 2020; Li et al., 2022; Marincowitz et al., 2020; Schebeck et al., 2023; Tanin et al., 2021) as a consequence of climate change and the intensification of international trade (Lantschner et al., 2020; Loehle et al., 2023; Vilardo et al., 2022; Ward et al., 2023), reaching alarming levels. The situation may be even more serious than currently known due to ongoing cryptic invasions (Mas et al., 2023; Morais & Reichard, 2018).…”

DNA metabarcoding, an efficient way to detect non-native cerambycid beetles in trapping collections?

“…One of these important families of xylophagous beetles is the long-horned Cerambycidae, with more than 200 species affecting forestry, horticulture, and agriculture (Rossa and Goczał 2021) resulting in multimillion-dollar losses every year (Wang 2017). To detect potential new invasions of Cerambycids, biomonitoring programs have been set up over large geographical areas with intensive trapping campaigns extending over several years (Roques et al 2023;Mas et al 2023). However, rapidly evolving trades lead to changes in trade routes and imported goods which results in an increasing arrival of new non-native species.…”