Special Collection: Advocacy in Action: Tackling Invasive Species through Collaboration, Policy, and Public Engagement
Annals of Entomological Society of America is pleased to publish a special collection on a variety of collectivized invasive species management topics. From Pennsylvania hunters coming together to collect deer keds (Lipoptena cervi) to spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) management at the local, state, regional, and national levels, this collection highlights the importance of collective action towards tackling invasive species.
All the papers in the collection are freely available to read and download.
Invasive arthropods can cause negative impacts on human health, damage to agriculture crops, irreparable environmental impacts, and other economic losses. Although native arthropods can be pests, invasive arthropods can pose unique challenges for identification and management. In this review, we discuss sustainable approaches such as using soil microbes and biopesticides that are safe for the environment and human health, build soil health, and can be proactive in rebuilding ecosystems with resilience against invasive arthropods.
Spotted lanternfly (SLF), Lycorma delicatula (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) is an invasive planthopper first detected in the United States in one county in Pennsylvania in September 2014. Due to widespread impacts, SLF management has demanded cooperation at local, state, regional, and national levels. The resulting actions taken in 2018–2020 in response to these priorities, which involved research, Extension, and public awareness are summarized, and areas in which improvements are needed that have been identified are discussed.
The boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis Boheman (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is an infamous pest of commercially cultivated cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L. (Malvales: Malvaceae). The US Boll Weevil Eradication Program, a joint effort of local, state, and federal governments and agencies, university and agency researchers, and the cotton producers themselves, is a prime example of a successful implementation of a community-wide integrated pest management (IPM). In this review, we will revisit the agro-economic history of the boll weevil and examine the success of the US Boll Weevil Eradication Program.
Hawaii’s role as a hub for travel, commerce, and military transport is a major contributor to its vulnerability to invasive species incursions. Mamalu Poepoe is an interagency program to enhance invasive species detection at Hawaii’s main airports. Mamalu Poepoe fills an important gap in surveillance at Hawaii’s airports and enhances the state’s ability for early detection and rapid response of species that can severely affect human health, our environment, and the economy through collaborative efforts.
Deer keds [Lipoptena cervi (L. 1758)] are ectoparasitic and hematophagous dipterans. The continued expansion and increase in vectors and vector-borne diseases present an opportunity for study and community outreach. We used a combination of active and passive collection techniques, using deer hunters as community scientists, to collect ectoparasites of deer in Pennsylvania over two hunting seasons (2018–2019, 2019–2020).
