Data from: Improving the early detection of alien wood-boring beetles in ports and surrounding forests

1. International ports are generally considered the most likely points of entry for alien wood-boring beetles. A better understanding of the factors affecting their arrival and establishment at ports and their surrounding areas is of utmost importance to improve the efficacy and the cost-effectiveness of early detection programmes. Our work aimed at understanding how port size and the characteristics of the landscape surrounding the port, in terms of forest cover and forest composition, influence the occurrence of alien wood-boring beetles. 2. From May to September 2012, 15 Italian international ports and the surrounding forests were monitored with multi-funnel traps baited with a multi-lure blend (α-pinene, ethanol, ipsdienol, ipsenol, methyl-buthenol), three in each port and three in forests located 3–5 km away from the port. We identified both alien and native Scolytinae, Cerambycidae and Buprestidae beetles. 3. Fourteen alien species, among which four are new to Italy, were trapped. Alien species richness was positively related to the amount of imported commodities at the port scale. Broadleaf forests surrounding ports received larger number of alien species than conifer forests. By contrast, total forest cover in the landscape surrounding ports was positively related to the occurrence of native but not alien species. The alien and native species richness was higher in the surrounding forests than in the ports. 4. Synthesis and applications. The simultaneous use of traps in ports with large volume of imported commodities and in their surrounding broadleaf forests can strongly increase the probability of alien wood-boring beetle interceptions. The identification of sites where the arrival and establishment of alien species is more probable, combined with an efficient trapping protocol, can substantially improve the efficacy of early detection. Similar approaches may be used in other countries as early warning systems to implement timely measures to eradicate or contain alien invasions at the European scale.

1. 国际港口通常被视为外来蛀木甲虫最主要的入侵入境口岸。深入解析影响其在港口及周边区域抵达与定植的各类因素，对于提升早期检测计划的效能与成本效益至关重要。本研究旨在探明港口规模，以及港口周边景观的森林覆盖率与森林组成特征，如何对外来蛀木甲虫的发生情况产生影响。
2. 2012年5月至9月，研究团队对15座意大利国际港口及其周边森林开展监测：使用搭载多诱剂混合物（α-蒎烯、乙醇、ipsdienol、ipsenol、甲基丁烯醇）的多漏斗诱捕器（multi-funnel traps），每座港口设置3台诱捕器，在距港口3至5公里的森林区域同样布设3台。研究人员对采集到的外来与本土小蠹亚科（Scolytinae）、天牛科（Cerambycidae）及吉丁甲科（Buprestidae）甲虫完成物种鉴定。
3. 本次诱捕共捕获14种外来甲虫，其中4种为意大利新记录物种。外来物种丰富度与港口尺度下的进口商品总量呈显著正相关。港口周边的阔叶林所捕获的外来物种数量多于针叶林。与之相对，港口周边景观的总森林覆盖率与本土物种的发生情况呈正相关，但与外来物种无此关联。周边森林中的外来与本土物种丰富度均高于港口区域。
4. 综合与应用。在进口货物吞吐量较大的港口及其周边阔叶林同步布设诱捕器，可大幅提升外来蛀木甲虫的截获概率。通过精准识别外来物种更易抵达与定植的区域，并结合高效的诱捕方案（trapping protocol），能够显著提升早期检测的效能。此类方法可在其他国家推广应用，作为早期预警系统，在欧洲范围内及时采取措施以根除或遏制外来物种入侵。