Thailand has its share of damages caused by invasive alien species (IAS) which are of
undesirable nature but have also gained economic importance as beneficial exotic and alien
cultivated species. An inventory of IAS in Thailand conducted by the Thailand CBC
Subcommittee Working Group on Alien Species under the then Ministry of Science, Technology
and Environment revealed over 1,500 alien species of animal, plant and microorganism origins,
including both invasive and beneficial species. Over 23 invasive insect species of economic and
agricultural importance have been identified. In addition, more than 39 insect species of exotic
origin have been introduced for biological control purposes in the country from 1963 to the
present, of which 19 parasitoids and predators were for insect pests of agricultural importance,
and 20 species were for biological control of terrestrial and aquatic weeds. Two strayed natural
enemies, one each of Siam weed and lantana, were also detected naturally in Thailand. The
overall management strategies for these invasive insect species are the adoption of integrated pest
management (IPM) approach, ranging from "no action", "single-component control tactics", and to
"integrated pest control".
INTRODUCTION