Recorded and potential alien invertebrate pests in Finnish agriculture and horticulture

Abstract

It is assumed that climate change will promote pest invasions and their establishment in new regions. We have updated the list of current alien invertebrate pest species in Finland and produced a list of potential new alien pests using a self-organizing map (SOM) that ranks species in terms of their risk of entry into Finland. The 76 pest species recorded included 66 insects, 5 nematodes, 2 mites and 3 slugs. Nearly half of the alien species appeared to have invaded Finland during the last 48 years. The SOM analysis is considered a viable tool for identification of potentially high-risk invasive pests from among the multitude of potential alien invaders, and represents a useful complement to local expert knowledge-based risk assessment of potentially invasive pests. Along with the comparisons with databases of current and potential pest species, SOM analysis suggests that in the changing climate, the habitats at greatest risk from exotic pests in Finland are horticultural: orchards, ornamental hardy-nursery stocks, landscape and ornamental tree nurseries, and greenhouses.