**5. Current status of invasive insects in India**

There are 173 invasive species introduced to India including 54 terrestrial plants, 56 aquatic organisms, 47 organisms having agricultural importance and 14 organisms of island ecosystem. On the other hand, there are 23 insect pests introduced to India (**Table 1**) [6].

**53**

**SI. No**

**Common name**

**Order: Hemiptera**

1. 2. 3.

Lantana bug

*Orthezia insignis*

Sri Lanka/

*Lantana*, coffee, *Jacaranda*,

*Citrus*, sweet potato,

gumwood, brinjal, rose

West indies

(1915)

(Orthezidae)

[30]

4.

Cottony cushion

*Icerya purchasi*

1921

*Acacia decurrens*, *Acacia* 

*dealbata,* and also a wide

range of forest trees and

agriculture are affected by

this insect

(Margarodidae)

scale [29]

5.

Pine woolly

*Pineus pini*

1970

*Pinus* spp. *Pinus patula*

Aphid feeds on shoots of plants causing

**Predator**

*Cheilomenes aurora*

dieback from the tip

(Adelgidae)

aphid [29]

San Jose scale [29]

*Quadraspidiotus perniciosus* (Diaspididae)

China (1911)

*Populus* spp.; *Salix* spp.; *Aesculus* spp.; *Alnus* spp.; *Betula* spp.; *Celtis* spp.; *Fagus* spp.; *Morus* spp.

Nymphs and adults suck the sap usually from the twigs and branches even fruits and leaves depending on severity. Heavy infestation on bark causes gumming which will be fatal to

plant. Pink discolouration around the parts

infested by scales

Reproduction is parthenogenetic. Bug feeds

by sucking the sap from the phloem. As a

by-product, honeydew is excreted which leads

to attraction of ants and development of sooty

moulds (Green, 1922) resulting in foul odour

and decrease of market value of fruits

Insect is a sap sucker. Abundant amount of

**Predator**

*Rodolia cardinalis*

honeydew is excreted leading to the sooty

mould development eventually affecting

photosynthesis and yield

Woolly aphid [28]

*Eriosoma lanigerum*

(Aphididae)

China (1889)

Apple, pear

Nymphs and adults are sap suckers, roots are damaged by the formation of swellings, and plants look unhealthy even leading to death

**Scientific name/ family**

**Introduced from/year**

**Hosts**

**Symptoms**

**Natural enemies**

*Invasive Insects in India*

**Parasitoids** *Aphelinus mali*

**Predators**

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.91986*

*Coccinella septempunctata*, *Coccinella transversoguttata*, *Balli anacharis*, *Chrysopa nigricornis*, *Exochomus uropygialis*, *Coleophora sunzetti*

**Parasitoids**

*Aphytis* sp., *Novaproclia*

sp., *Encarsia perniciosi* 

*Teleterbratus perversus*

**Predator**

*Chilocorus infernalis*

**Predator**

*Hyperaspis pantherina*


#### *Invasive Insects in India DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.91986*

*Invasive Species - Introduction Pathways, Economic Impact, and Possible Management Options*

transported logs to one of the base camps [19].

ability and decreased biotic resistance.

always affects negatively the native species [25].

**5. Current status of invasive insects in India**

teenth century [22].

of passive transportation of insect is the occurrence of timber beetles (Cerambycidae) in Antarctica which is predicted to be introduced through

Sometimes insects themselves have an inherent capacity of migration to long distances. Hence any deviations from the favourable condition make them migrate from that place. Fall armyworm, *Spodoptera frugiperda*, is one of the recent invasive insect pests in India. They *are* excellent fliers [20, 21] and can fly almost 100 kilometres in certain hours; hence they are believed to have fled from Africa to the Indian subcontinent, but still the mode of arrival of the invasive pest is uncertain. Another example is the Monarch butterfly, *Danaus plexippus* (Nymphalidae), native to North America which has been found migrating to Australia in the early nine-

ii.**Establishment.** Short colonisation is very common, but the insect cannot be regarded as an invasive one unless it has established itself in the new environment which is possible only when the invaded insect overcomes the environmental barriers. Unlike local colonisation, establishment of an invasive species is dependent on the amount of propagule introduced. It is believed that the establishment is promoted by disturbances conducted at the receiving environment. Disturbance promotes establishment either because native species are poorly adapted to the frequency, intensity or timing of human-mediated disturbances or because IAS are often adapted to disturbance and thus predisposed for colonisation in such environments [23]. Insects are more prone to invasiveness due to increased resource avail-

Global warming is another cause of rapid invasiveness of the insects. Global warming has modified the resource availability and habitat suitability, thereby deteriorating biological regime of the native insects, hence favouring the establishment of the alien insects [24]. However some of the regions might be least affected by climate change as far as the invasiveness is concerned, whereas climate change

iii.**Spread.** Spreading is the process where the initially established species spreads to other areas. Spreading is guided by environmental factors such as weather conditions, microclimate and habitat quality [26]. The community context of spreading includes interspecific competition and predators also. The decision for spreading in an individual insect is also brought about either by its behavioural responses (aggressiveness or sociality of the insect) or morphological responses (wing development as in the case of aphids). Apart from that the established insect can also spread through human-mediated transportation. The latter conserves energy for the invasive insect since the human-mediated transports are quick but the success rate of the spread is highly dependent on the habitat permeability of the habitat to which the lien insect spread [27].

There are 173 invasive species introduced to India including 54 terrestrial plants, 56 aquatic organisms, 47 organisms having agricultural importance and 14 organisms of island ecosystem. On the other hand, there are 23 insect pests introduced to

**52**

India (**Table 1**) [6].


**55**

**SI. No**

11.

Solenopsis mealy bug [35]

*Phenacoccus solenopsis* (Pseudococcidae)

Malvaceae (okra), Solanaceae (tomato, brinjal, potato, chilly), Leguminosae (field bean), Cucurbitaceae (pointed gourd, cucumber, melons and gourds)

Coconut, guava, banana, mango, drumstick, jackfruit

Young ones and adults suck the sap from leaves by remaining ventral surface of the leaves

**Parasitoid** *Cales noacki*

**Parasitoid**

*Encarsia* spp.

**Predators**

*Dichochrysa astour* 

*Cybocephalus* spp. *Chilocorus* 

*nigrita and Jauravia pallidula*

**Parasitoid** *Encarsia* sp.

12.

Rugose spiralling whitefly [36]

*Aleurodicus rugioperculatus*

2016

(Aleyrodidae)

13. 14.

Neotropical

*Aleurotrachelus* 

Neotropical

*Cocos nucifera* and *Dypsis* 

(2019)

*lutescens*

whitefly [38]

*atratus*

(Aleyrodidae)

**Order: Lepidoptera**

15.

Potato tuber

*Phthorimaea* 

Italy (1937)

Tobacco, tomato, brinjal,

Caterpillars mine the leaves and bore holes

**Parasitoids**

*Chelonus blackburni*,

*Copidosoma kochleti*

**Predators**

*Chrysoperla zastrowi*, *Orius* 

*albidipennis*, *Labidura riparia*

on tender shoots and tubers. They can move

through veins into the petiole

beet and stored potato

*operculella*

(Gelechiidae)

moth [29]

Woolly whitefly [37]

*Aleurothrixus floccosus* (Aleyrodidae)

Neotropical (2019)

Guava, *Citrus* species

**Common name**

**Scientific name/ family**

**Introduced from/year**

**Hosts**

**Symptoms**

**Natural enemies**

**Parasitoid** *Aenasius bambawalei*

*Invasive Insects in India*

Apart from sap sucking, they develop black sooty moulds which disturb photosynthetic activity

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.91986*


## *Invasive Insects in India DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.91986*

*Invasive Species - Introduction Pathways, Economic Impact, and Possible Management Options*

**54**

**SI. No**

6.

Subabul psyllid

*Heteropsylla cubana*

Central

*Leucaena* sp.

These insects are sap suckers from the young

**Predator**

*Curinus coeruleus*

shoots, leaves and inflorescences leading to

complete deformation of young shoots

Nymphs and adults suck sap from host plants.

**Parasitoids**

*Encarsia haitiensis Encarsia* 

*guadeloupe*

**Predators**

*Axinoscymnus puttarudiah* 

*Oecophylla smaragdina* 

*Solenopsis geminate*

**Parasitoids**

*Encarsia formosa*, *Eretmocerus* 

*eremicus*

**Fungal pathogens**

*Lecanicillium lecanii*,

*Beauveria bassiana*,

*Paecilomyces fumosoroseus*

**Parasitoid**

*Acerophagus papayae*

**Predator**

*Cryptolaemus montrouzieri*

Premature leaf drop. Nymphs secrete white,

waxy and flocculent material. Honeydew

is produced which develops sooty mould

affecting photosynthesis

America

(1988)

(Psyllidae)

[31]

7.

Spiralling

*Aleurodicus dispersus*

Caribbean

Wide range of plants (481

region,

hosts)

Central

America

(1993)

8. 9.

Papaya mealy

*Paracoccus* 

Central

Mulberry, tapioca, *Jatropha*,

Stylets are inserted into leaves and skin

of the fruits and suck the sap. Injection of

toxic substance leads to chlorosis, stunting,

distortion, early leaf and fruit fall. Sooty

mould is developed disturbing photosynthesis

Sap suckers Infestation of this mealybug on

**Parasitoid**

*Aenasius bambawalei*

cotton causes: stunting, yellowing, distortion

and premature drop of leaves and fruits

cotton and several fruits,

flowers and plantation crops

America

(2007)

*marginatus*

(Pseudococcidae)

bug [33]

10.

Cotton mealy

*Phenacoccus* 

USA (2005)

Cotton, brinjal, okra,

tomato, sesame, sunflower,

rose

*solenopsis*

(Pseudococcidae)

bug [34]

Silver leaf

*Bemisia argentifolii*

1999

Tomato, Squash, Poinsettia,

Four types of damages can be seen Disorder

symptoms (irregular ripening), sooty mould

development due to honeydew secretion, viral

disease (tomato leaf curl virus transmitted

by adults) and cosmetic damage due to the

presence of adults and nymphs on leaves

Cucumber, Eggplants,

Okra, Beans, and Cotton

(Aleyrodidae)

whitefly [29]

(Aleyrodidae)

whitefly [32]

**Common name**

**family**

**Scientific name/** 

**Introduced** 

**Hosts**

**Symptoms**

**Natural enemies**

**from/year**


**57**

**SI. No**

20.

Erythrina gall wasp [42] **Order: Coleoptera**

21.

Coffee berry borer [43] **Order: Diptera**

22.

Serpentine leaf

*Liriomyza trifolii*

USA (1990)

Pea, cucurbits, tomato,

The adult female makes punctures in the leaf

**Parasitoid**

*Hemiptarsenus varicornis*

tissue with its ovipositor for both feeding and

oviposition. The larvae that hatch out from the

eggs mine the leaf feeding on the mesophyll

region leaving a serpentine structure

Nuts are discoloured resulting in the reduction

**Predator**

*Neoseiulus baraki*

**Fungal pathogen**

*Hirsutella thompsonii*

of market value

castor, ornamental plants

(feeds on more than 78

annual plant species)

(Agromyzidae)

miner [44]

**Class: Arachnida**

23.

The coconut

*Aceria guerreronis*

1997

Coconut

(Eriophyidae)

eriophyid mite

[29]

**Table 1.** *Current status of invasive insects in India.*

*Hypothenemus hampei* (Scolytidae)

Northeast Africa (1990)

Arabica and robusta types of coffee

The fertilised female bores an entrance hole at the terminal pore or in the calyx ridge of the differential tissue that surrounds the pore and lays bean shaped eggs

**Parasitoids** *Prorops nasuta, Cephalonomia stephanoderis, Phymastichus coffea*, *Cephalonomia stephanoderis*

*Quadrastichus erythrinae* (Eulophidae)

2005

*Erythrina* sp., black pepper vanilla

Wasp forms galls on the leaves, stems, petioles, and youngs. Due to galls there reduction in size and number eventually decreases the growth. One wasp per gall is present, whereas galls on shoots and petiole have five individuals. Trees affected become scrawny with crinkle leaves later leading to defoliation and death

**Common name**

**Scientific name/ family**

**Introduced from/year**

**Hosts**

**Symptoms**

**Natural enemies**

*Invasive Insects in India*

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.91986*


*Invasive Insects in India DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.91986*

*Invasive Species - Introduction Pathways, Economic Impact, and Possible Management Options*

**56**

**SI. No**

16.

Diamondback

*Plutella xylostella*

1914

Cabbage, cauliflower,

Mining and skeletonisation of leaves and

**Parasitoids**

*Brachymeria excarinata*,

*Tetrastichus sokolowskii*

**Predators**

*Motacilla flava, Tapinoma* 

*melanocephalum, Pheidole*

spp., *Camponotus sericeus*

**Parasitoid**

*Trichogramma achaea*

**Predator**

*Nesidiocoris tenuis*

**Parasitoids**

*Telenomus* sp.,

*Trichogramma* sp.

caterpillar also bores into heads of cabbage

radish, Knol-khol (rabi),

turnip, beetroot, mustard

(Plutellidae)

moth [39]

17.

South American

*Tuta absoluta*

South America

Tomato, potato, pepper,

Larvae attack leaves, buds, stalks and fruits.

Feeding results in blotches visible from both

sides, galleries on leaves and pinholes on fruits

from stalk end stuffed with frass

Eggs are laid in the whorl (inner side) and

also under leaves in mass. Hatched larvae

feed on leaves by scraping and skeletonising

leaving a silvery transparent membrane. Feeds

unopened leaves in whorls and stuffs with

frass. Older larvae feed on primordial shoot

and tassel leading to dead heart symptom

(2014)

brinjal

(Gelechiidae)

tomato leaf

miner [40]

18.

Fall armyworm

*Spodoptera* 

America to

Maize, millet, sorghum,

sugarcane, rice, wheat,

cowpea, groundnut, potato,

soybean, cotton

Africa, Africa

to India (2018)

*frugiperda*

(Noctuidae)

**Order: Hymenoptera**

19.

Blue gum

*Leptocybe invasa*

Australia

*Eucalyptus* sp.

*L. invasa* lay eggs in the bark of shoots or

the midribs of leaves. Small, white maggots

produce galls on the midrib of leaves, petioles

and twigs leading to gnarled appearance,

stunted growth, lodging, dieback and

eventually death of the tree

(Eulophidae)

chalcid [29]

[41]

**Common name**

**family**

**Scientific name/** 

**Introduced** 

**Hosts**

**Symptoms**

**Natural enemies**

**from/year**

**Table 1.**

*Current status of invasive insects in India.*
