Habitat manipulation to mitigate the impacts of invasive arthropod pests

Abstract

Exotic invaders are some of the most serious insect pests of agricultural crops around the globe. Increasingly, the structure of landscape and habitat is recognized as having a major influence on both insect pests and their natural enemies. Habitat manipulation that aims at conserving natural enemies can potentially contribute to safer and more effective control of invasive pests. In this paper, we review habitat management experiments, published during the last 10 years, which have aimed to improve biological control of invasive pests. We then discuss during what conditions habitat management to conserve natural enemies is likely to be effective and how the likelihood of success of such methods can be improved. We finally suggest an ecologically driven research agenda for habitat management programmes.