Biological control of invasive arthropod pests – meeting the challenges through collaborative research.

Introductions of invasive alien arthropods result from unintentional human actions. Among those species that establish and become pests, many affect agricultural production and cause significant economic losses. Some also affect natural ecosystems. The importation and release of natural enemies from the pest’s area of origin is an effective option to suppress pest numbers to levels where damage is minimized. However, any natural enemy released in the region where an exotic pest has invaded must not threaten native species and therefore must be carefully assessed to determine potential risk. To fulfill this need, collaboration provides the most cost effective and rigorous path forward. The biological control of the cabbage seedpod weevil, Ceutorhynchus obstrictus, provides an example of how collaborative science can meet the challenges so that scientifically-based decisions can be made.