The number of invasive insect species identified in Türkiye is approaching 60, as climate change, global trade and expanding transportation networks accelerate their spread.
Professor Izzet Akça, head of the Entomology Department at Ondokuz Mayıs University’s Faculty of Agriculture, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that Türkiye is home to between 25,000 and 30,000 insect species.
Akça said nearly 60 invasive insect species have been identified as having entered Türkiye at different times, while emphasizing that not every insect that becomes common in an area should be considered invasive.
“For an insect to be considered invasive, it must enter a region where it does not naturally occur, establish itself, spread rapidly and cause economic or ecological damage,” he said.
Among the invasive species posing the greatest economic challenges in Türkiye are the brown marmorated stink bug, citrus longhorn beetle, Asian tiger mosquito, vampire moth and tomato leaf miner (Tuta absoluta).
