Why so many Hemiptera invasions?

Authors: LIEBHOLD, ANDREW - Us Forest Service (FS); TURNER, REBECCA - Scion; BARTLETT, CHARLES - University Of Delaware; BERTELSMEIER, CLEO - University Of Lausanne; BLAKE, RACHEL - Intertidal Agency; BROCKERHOFF, ECKEHARD - Swiss Federal Institute; CAUSTON, CHARLOTTE - Charles Darwin Foundation; MATSUNAGA, JANIS - Hawaii Department Of Agriculture; McKamey, Stuart; NAHRUNG, HELEN - University Of Sunshine Coast; Owen, Christopher; PURESWARAN, DEEPA - Canadian Forest Service; ROQUES, ALAIN - Inrae; Schneider, Scott; SANBORN, ALLEN - Barry University; SEEBENS, HANNO - Senckenberg Biodiversity And Climate Research Centre; YAMANAKA, TAKEHIKO - National Agriculture And Food Research Organization (NARO), Agricultrual Research Center

Submitted to: Diversity and Distributions
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/21/2024
Publication Date: 9/6/2024
Citation: Liebhold, A.M., Turner, R.M., Bartlett, C.R., Bertelsmeier, C., Blake, R.E., Brockerhoff, E.G., Causton, C., Matsunaga, J.N., Mckamey, S.H., Nahrung, H.F., Owen, C.L., Pureswaran, D.S., Roques, A., Schneider, S.A., Sanborn, A.F., Seebens, H., Yamanaka, T. 2024. Why so many Hemiptera invasions?. Diversity and Distributions. 2024;00:e13911. https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.13911.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.13911

Interpretive Summary: Insects called the “true bugs” comprise the fifth largest order of insects and cause millions of dollars of damage annually to U.S. agriculture and horticulture though feeding, egg-laying, and transmitting plant diseases, much of it the result of invasive species. True bugs also comprise more established non-native insect species than any other insect order. It is therefore essential to understand the dynamics and geography of invasive species from this group. This publication investigates the reasons for over-representation in this group by analyzing geographical, temporal, and taxonomic variation in numbers of historical invasions. The results will be of interest to biogeographers and state and federal agencies dealing with invasive species, such as the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

Technical Abstract: Aim The Hemiptera is the fifth-largest insect order but comprises more established non-native insect species than any other insect order. This over-representation may result from high propagule pressure or from high species invasiveness. Here, we assess the reasons for over-representation in this group by analyzing geographical, temporal and taxonomic variation in numbers of historical invasions. Location Global Method We assembled lists of historical invasions in 12 world regions, countries or islands (Australia, Chile, Europe, New Zealand, North America, South Africa, South Korea, Japan, and the Galapagos, Hawaiian, Okinawa, and Ogasawara Islands) and border interception data from 9 countries (Australia, Canada, European Union, United Kingdom, Hawaii, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, USA mainland, South Africa). Using these data, we identified hemipteran superfamilies that are historically over-represented among non-native species, and superfamilies that are over-represented among arrivals (proxied by interceptions). We also compared temporal patterns of establishments among hemipteran suborders and among regions. Results Across all 12 regions, patterns of over- and under-representation were similar. The Aphidoidea, Coccoidea, Aleyrodoidea, Cimicoidea and Phylloxeroida were over-represented among non-native species. These same superfamilies were not consistently over-represented among intercepted species indicating that propagule pressure does not completely explain the tendency of some Hemiptera to be over-represented among invasions. Asexual reproduction is common in nearly all of the over-represented superfamilies and this trait may be key to explaining the exceptional invasion success of these superfamilies. Geographical and temporal patterns of historical numbers of species established per decade mirror trends of naturalization of non-native plants. Conclusions We conclude that both propagule pressure and species invasiveness traits are drivers of the exceptional invasion success of the Sternorrhyncha suborder and Hemiptera in general. Most Hemiptera are plant-feeding, we conclude that non-native plant invasions provide ecological niches for non-native Hemiptera and play a role in driving their invasions worldwide.