Modeling potential invasion of stored-product pest Cryptamorpha desjardinsii (Guérin-Méneville, 1844) (Coleoptera: Silvanidae) with emphasis on newly recorded areas

Abstract

Desjardin's flat bark beetle – Cryptamorpha desjardinsii (Guérin-Méneville, 1844) – is a widespread invasive species that can become a stored products pest and threaten native species. Our objectives were to provide the first detailed records of this species to South America and New Caledonia, and model suitable areas of C. desjardinsii globally based on different Ecological Niche Models (ENM). We combine several techniques to predict the ecological niche of C. desjardinsii using distribution records and a set of environmental predictor variables. Overall, the species appears to be well established in tropical and subtropical regions, particularly in islands, with new and previous records predicted by the consensus model. In South America, the driest and coldest regions were predicted to be less suitable for the occurrence of C. desjardinsii. In the current global spread context, these findings are pivotal to predicting areas of high risk of invasion of C. desjardinsii. © 2022 Korean Society of Applied Entomology