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Considering biology when inferring range-limiting stress mechanisms for agricultural pests: a case study of the beet armyworm

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Abstract

Reliable niche models are a cornerstone of pest risk analyses, informing biosecurity policies and the management of biological invasions. Because species can invade and establish in areas with climates that are different from those that are found in their native range, it is important to accurately capture the range-limiting mechanisms in models that project climate suitability. We examined a published niche model for the beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua, to assess its suitability for bioeconomic analyses of its pest threat, and identified issues with the model that rendered it unreliable for this purpose. Consequently, we refitted the CLIMEX model, paying close attention to the biology underpinning the stress mechanisms. This highlighted the necessity of carefully considering how the different stress mechanisms operate, and to select mechanisms which align with knowledge on the species’ biology. We also identified the important role of irrigation in modifying habitat suitability. The refitted model accords with both distribution data and our understanding of the biology of this species, including its seasonal range dynamics. The new model identifies establishment risks to South America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, and highlights that under current climate, Europe is only climatically suitable during warm seasons when crops are available. The modelling exercise reinforced the importance of understanding the meaning of a location record (e.g. persistent versus ephemeral populations) and of carefully exploring the role of habitat-modifying factors, such as irrigation, in allowing species to persist in otherwise inclement localities.

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Acknowledgements

This work was led by InSTePP (International Science and Technology Practice and Policy), University of Minnesota, and CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Australia), and was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation by way of the HarvestChoice Project. Thanks are due to Philip Pardey and Jason Beddow for supporting the work, and to Matt Hill and Dean Paini for comments on the draft manuscript.

Funding

Work on this Project was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Award No. 2010X446.UMN. Award title: HarvestChoice: Supporting Strategic Investment Choices in Agricultural Technology Development and Adoption.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. HarvestChoice, InSTePP, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA

    Tania Yonow & Darren J. Kriticos

  2. CSIRO, GPO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia

    Tania Yonow & Darren J. Kriticos

  3. Forest Zoology Department, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Sukachev Institute of Forest, Akademgorodok 50/28, Krasnoyarsk, Russia, 660036

    Natalia Kirichenko

  4. Siberian Federal University, 79 Svobodny Pr., Krasnoyarsk, Russia, 660041

    Natalia Kirichenko

  5. CSIRO, Private Bag 5, Wembley, WA, 6913, Australia

    Noboru Ota

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  1. Tania Yonow
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Correspondence to Tania Yonow or Darren J. Kriticos.

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Yonow, T., Kriticos, D.J., Kirichenko, N. et al. Considering biology when inferring range-limiting stress mechanisms for agricultural pests: a case study of the beet armyworm. J Pest Sci 91, 523–538 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-017-0938-9

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