support from the European projects ALARM(Assessing large-scale environmental risks with tested methods–GOCE-CT-2003-506675);ISEFOR(Increasing Sustainability of European Forests:Modelling for Security Against Invasive Pests and Pathogens under Climate Change–collaborative project 245268);COST Action PERMIT(Pathway Evaluation and pest Risk Management In Transport-FP1002-181110-06882)from the French‘Agence Nationale de la Recherche’(International project MacBi–Megastigmus and conifers:the biology of invasion–ANR-2010-INTB-1705);the French Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development(Biological invasions program 2003–2006 project INVAGRAINES–Invasions of forest stands by alien seed insects:mechanisms,ecological impact and management).
Cone and seed insects are considered the most important predators of tree seeds during the pre-dispersal phase of development.Among them,exotic seed chalcids in the genus Megastigmus invaded Europe as a result of the ...