Spotting Potential Threats: A Tool to Inform the Proactive Management of Invasive Insects on a Regional Scale

Abstract

Invasive insects present a complex modern global crisis with the potential to have dire consequences. Proactive management is considered the most effective management approach, but conservation managers often face many barriers to engagement. This study introduces a tool for managers to identify invasive insects that hold the potential to expand their range northwards on a regional scale. The tool utilizes community science, horizon scanning, and a mixture of peer-reviewed and grey literature. It is applied using a case study on the potential for Lycorma delicatula, the spotted lanternfly (SLF), to spread to the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada. The findings affirm that the SLF demonstrates an ability to spread to the Niagara Region due to the proximity of recently established populations, the warming effects of climate change, and viable invasion pathways. The tool demonstrates the potential to be used by managers to identify other range-expanding insects and inform proactive management.