Since 1982, Biological Control of Weeds: A World Catalogue of Agents and Their Target Weeds has documented the release, establishment, and impact of weed biocontrol agents worldwide. This database is currently divided into three lists:
Classical Biocontrol Agents
Native Organisms
Unintentional Introductions
Understanding the World Catalog Lists
Classical Biocontrol Agents
This list is the primary focus of this database and includes classical weed biocontrol agents intentionally introduced to new countries. Each entry represents the first release year of a specific agent targeting a specific weed in a country.
Some biocontrol agents have been released in the same country multiple times. When subsequent releases targeted different weed species, originated from different sources, were separated by five years or more, or were successfully established following the failure of the original release(s), these are given their own entries.
Establishment status is reported when known. For established agents, abundance and impact are categorized using standardized scales. Abundance ranges from Rare to High and includes Variable, Too early post release, and Unknown. Impact ranges from None to Heavy and includes Variable, Compromised, Too early post release, and Unknown. Medium impact indicates reduced reliance on other control methods, while Heavy impact indicates other control methods are largely unnecessary. Variable impact pertains to agents with heavy impacts in some parts of the introduced country but low impacts in others, while Compromised indicates release sites were destroyed after release.
Native Organisms
Although uncommon, herbivores or pathogens native to a country have at times been intentionally redistributed within that country for the control of an introduced and invasive weed. Establishment, abundance, and impact information stated for these releases pertain only to the intentional redistributions and not to the entire native range of the organisms in question. Abundance and impact categories follow those defined for List 1.
Unintentional Introductions
This list documents the unintentional or natural spread of weed biocontrol agents into countries where they were not deliberately released. When available, abundance and impact are categorized using the same definitions as List 1. In some cases, agents unintentionally introduced were later approved for official use or intentionally redistributed; the year of first intentional redistribution is noted where applicable. Not all agents listed have been intentionally redistributed (year field blank), and some redistributions may not have been legal or officially approved.
Winston, R.L., M.D. Day, M. Schwarzländer, H.L. Hinz, M.J.W. Cock, and M.H. Julien, Eds. 2020. Biological Control of Weeds: A World Catalogue of Agents and Their Target Weeds. USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Protection. Available online at https://www.ibiocontrol.org/catalog/ [Releases current through December 31, 2020 | Data last updated: checking… | Accessed: ].