Paninvasion severity assessment of a U.S. grape pest to disrupt the global wine market

• Published in: Communications biology 2022-07, Vol.5 (1), p.655-11, Article 655
• Main Authors: Huron, Nicholas A., Behm, Jocelyn E., Helmus, Matthew R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 631/158/2178; 706/1143; Animals; Biology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; France; Hemiptera; Humans; Introduced Species; Invasive species; Life Sciences; Pandemics; Pests; Vitis; Wine
• ISSN: 2399-3642; 2399-3642
• DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03580-w

Economic impacts from plant pests are often felt at the regional scale, yet some impacts expand to the global scale through the alignment of a pest’s invasion potentials. Such globally invasive species (i.e., paninvasives) are like the human pathogens that cause pandemics. Like pandemics, assessing paninvasion risk for an emerging regional pest is key for stakeholders to take early actions that avoid market disruption. Here, we develop the paninvasion severity assessment framework and use it to assess a rapidly spreading regional U.S. grape pest, the spotted lanternfly planthopper ( Lycorma delicatula; SLF), to spread and disrupt the global wine market. We found that SLF invasion potentials are aligned globally because important viticultural regions with suitable environments for SLF establishment also heavily trade with invaded U.S. states. If the U.S. acts as an invasive bridgehead, Italy, France, Spain, and other important wine exporters are likely to experience the next SLF introductions. Risk to the global wine market is high unless stakeholders work to reduce SLF invasion potentials in the U.S. and globally. The spotted lanternfly planthopper poses a global threat as a paninvasive wine grape pest.