The BIOCAT database of introductions of insect biological control agents for the control of insect pests was updated to the end of 2010 to include 6158 introductions, using 2384 different insect biological control agents against 588 pest species in 148 countries. Of the introductions, 2007 (32.6 %) led to establishment, and 620 (10.1 %) resulted in satisfactory control being reported against 172 (29.3 %) different pest species. The number of introductions has decreased each decade since the 1970s, but in the same period a higher proportion of introductions became established and contributed to successful control of target pests, and the number of countries implementing classical biological control increased. These positive trends reflect the greater research effort now made to optimize the chances of successful outcomes and increased confidence in classical biological control as a viable pest management strategy against a backdrop of a risk-averse culture that has developed in some key countries in recent years.

As part of a census of the Indian rhinoceros Rhinoceros unicornis a survey was conducted to measure the extent of invasion by the neotropical plant mikania Mikania micrantha across major habitats of Chitwan National Park important for the conservation of the rhinoceros. Previous work has demonstrated that this fire-adapted plant can smother and kill native flora such as grasses and sapling trees, several of which are important fodder plants of the rhinoceros. Here, additional studies were conducted on the risks of anthropogenic factors (natural resource collection and grassland burning) contributing to the spread and growth of the plant. Mikania is currently found across 44% of habitats sampled and almost 15% of these have a high infestation (> 50% coverage). Highest densities were recorded from riverine forest, tall grass and wetland habitats and this is where the highest numbers of rhinoceroses were recorded in the habitats surveyed during the census. Local community dependence on natural resources in the core area of the Park is high. The range and volume of resources (e.g. fodder) collected and the distances travelled all pose a high risk of the spread of mikania. Of greater significance is the annual burning of the grasslands in the Park by local communities, estimated at 25–50% of the total area. It is imperative, therefore, that core elements of a management plan for mikania incorporate actions to control burning, reduce spread and raise awareness about best practice for local resource management by local communities.

Vector control has been the most effective preventive measure against malaria and other vector-borne diseases. However, due to concerns such as insecticide resistance and budget shortfalls, an integrated control approach will be required to ensure sustainable, long-term effectiveness. An integrated management strategy should entail some aspects of environmental management, relying on coordination between various scientific disciplines. Here, we review one such environmental control tactic: invasive alien plant management. This covers salient plant-mosquito interactions for both terrestrial and aquatic invasive plants and how these affect a vector’s ability to transmit malaria. Invasive plants tend to have longer flowering durations, more vigorous growth, and their spread can result in an increase in biomass, particularly in areas where previously little vegetation existed. Some invasive alien plants provide shelter or resting sites for adult mosquitoes and are also attractive nectar-producing hosts, enhancing their vectorial capacity. We conclude that these plants may increase malaria transmission rates in certain environments, though many questions still need to be answered, to determine how often this conclusion holds. However, in the case of aquatic invasive plants, available evidence suggests that the management of these plants would contribute to malaria control. We also examine and review the opportunities for large-scale invasive alien plant management, including options for biological control. Finally, we highlight the research priorities that must be addressed in order to ensure that integrated vector and invasive alien plant management operate in a synergistic fashion.

Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda , is a crop pest native to the Americas, which has invaded and spread throughout sub-Saharan Africa within two years. Recent estimates of 20-50% maize yield loss in Africa suggest severe damage to livelihoods. Fall armyworm is still infilling its potential range in Africa, and could spread to other continents. In order to understand fall armyworm’s year-round, global, potential distribution, we used evidence of the effects of temperature and precipitation on fall armyworm life-history, combined with data on native and African distributions to construct Species Distribution Models (SDMs). Fall armyworm has only invaded areas that have a climate similar to the native distribution, validating the use of climatic SDMs. The strongest climatic limits on fall armyworm’s year-round distribution are the coldest annual temperature and the amount of rain in the wet season. Much of sub-Saharan Africa can host year-round fall armyworm populations, but the likelihoods of colonising North Africa and seasonal migrations into Europe are hard to predict. South and Southeast Asia and Australia have climate that would permit fall armyworm to invade. Current trade and transportation routes reveal Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand face high threat of fall armyworm invasions originating from Africa.

Damage from species of Agromyzidae (Diptera) on their plant host(s) is caused mostly by internal larval feeding, but additional damage can arise from female oviposition and feeding punctures, which results in structural damage, the vectoring of viruses and pathogenic fungi, and the exposure of tissue to secondary infection. Many plants of agricultural and ornamental importance are attacked in the field and in glasshouses, and while fly populations are normally kept in check by hymenopterous parasitoids, they sometimes occur in large enough numbers to affect yield and may destroy entire crops. Species affecting crops may be specialists on one host or a larger number of related hosts, but only 16 species in the genera Liriomyza Mik, Phytomyza Fallén and Tropicomyia Spencer are polyphagous, occurring on many hosts in a wide range of families. The threat of these flies is compounded by increasing insecticide resistance and the ease by which polyphagous species can multiply on weeds around growing areas or on alternate crops. All species are also readily spread through trade on their host plant or in soil, causing some species to become globally invasive, with some being of quarantine concern. Since understanding these pests is integral to their control, the objective of the present study is to provide an overview of agromyzid biology, ecology and agricultural importance. Detailed consideration is additionally provided for 26 major pests of special concern. These include eight species of the subfamily Agromyzinae [Agromyza frontella (Rondani); A. megalopsis Hering; A. parvicornis Loew; Melanagromyza sojae (Zehntner), Ophiomyia phaseoli (Tyron), O. simplex (Loew), O. spencerella (Greathead), and Tropicomyia theae (Cotes)] and 18 species of the subfamily Phytomyzinae [Amauromyza flavifrons (Meigen), Liriomyza brassicae (Riley), L. bryoniae (Kaltenbach), L. chinensis (Kato), L. congesta (Becker), L. huidobrensis (Blanchard), L. langei Frick, L. sativae Blanchard, L. strigata (Meigen), L. trifolii (Burgess), Phytobia cambii (Hendel), Phytomyza gymnostomaLoew, P. horticola Goureau, P. ilicicola Loew, P. ilicis Curtis, P. nigra Meigen, P. rufipes Meigen, and P. syngenesiae (Hardy)]. For each of these species, an overview of contemporary knowledge is provided for identification and diagnosis, global distribution, hosts plant(s), host damage, biology, and means of movement and dispersal. To aid in control, early warning systems, and means of field monitoring and management are provided.

Crop pests (weeds, insect pests and pathogens) are recognised worldwide as a serious challenge to agricultural production and threat to food security. Potential losses due to weeds, animal pests and pathogens have been reported at 34%, 18% and 16%, respectively. In monetary terms losses can be high, for example, annual smallholder losses due to just five invasive species in six African countries have been estimated at US$0.9–1.1 billion. Here, smallholder mixed maize farmers’ perceptions of the key constraints to their farming practices are considered. Semi-structured interviews with smallholder households, in addition to key informant interviews, reveal that farmers report insect pests, pathogens and weeds (collectively “pests”) as the main constraints to farm production. Farmers report yield losses experienced due to pests, together with control expenditure significantly affect net income whilst undermining other livelihood assets. Farmers in Mwea West are highly vulnerable to a range of pests including a number of invasive alien species. Importantly, the farmer perceptions in this study agree with major research studies and confirm the serious impacts of pests on smallholder livelihoods. In order to achieve positive livelihood outcomes there is an urgent need for support to improve smallholder food security; this is especially important for countries with low gross domestic product.