Interactions between Non-Native Plants and Native Insects:Research Gaps

Global climate change, habitat fragmentation and rise in non-native plant species have altered traditional native plant–insect interactions (Figure 1). Dominance of non-native plants has resulted in the decline of native plant species. As a result, native insects that use native plants as substrate for food and reproduction are affected leading to decline in native insect population. Conversely, some native insects may find abundant nonnative plants as a better source of diet, and prefer and reproductively perform well. Such native insects, with time, choose a new host in the form of nonnative plant species and continue to increase their progeny, thus increasing the overall native insect population.