BENEFICIAL INVASIVE INSECT SPECIES
In addition to invasive insect species of
economic and agricultural importance, since
1963 Thailand has introduced a total of 39
exotic insect species consisting of 19 insect
species for biological control of various insect
pests (Table 2) and 20 insect species for
biological control of both terrestrial and aquatic weeds (Table 3). Additionally two exotic insect
species, each known to be biological control
agents of Siam weed and lantana, have been
detected naturally without intentional
introductions (Napompeth, 1982, 1989, 1990,
1992, 1994, 2001; Napompeth and MacDicken
1990). Ironically, these 41 exotic insect species
could be considered "invasive" but "beneficial"
on intentional basis because they have been
utilized as biological control agents to
overcome the target pest species which are
invasive insect species. They are thus
characteristically "beneficial invasive insect
species" from the economic point of view.