A review of the introduced forest pests in Brazil

Special attention should be given to forest plantings in order to minimize the probability of exotic pest introduction and, consequently, of production losses. The objective of this review was to present, under a historic perspective, the main exotic insects that harm the Brazilian forest sector. Therefore, to better describe the phytosanitary context of introduced forest pests in Brazil, the main information regarding these insects was gathered here. Introduced species and species with a risk of introduction were listed. The following species were registered: 12 exotic introduced species related to eucalyptus, non-quarantine; 9 species related to pine, one quarantine; and 1 species related to teak, quarantine. Overall, the core problems for 57 pest species were addressed, followed by projections on current risks and priorities. Biological control programs and their respective agents were also mentioned. For eucalyptus plantations, the species belonging to the genera Ophelimus and Leptocybe are priorities and should be emphasized. Regarding pine species, the main current concerns are Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (transmitted by species of Monochamus), Rhyacionia frustrana, and Dendroctonus frontalis. Better risk management requires reinforcement of phytosanitary inspections and constant refinement of contingency plans, whose actions include monitoring by visual sampling, employment of sentinel plants, and preventive breeding programs aiming at pest resistance. Resumo: Atenção especial deve ser dada a plantações florestais para minimizar a probabilidade de introdução de pragas exóticas e, consequentemente, as perdas de produção. O objetivo deste artigo de revisão foi apresentar, sob uma perspectiva histórica, os principais insetos exóticos que ameaçam o setor florestal brasileiro. Portanto, para melhor descrever o contexto fitossanitário das pragas florestais introduzidas no Brasil, foram compiladas as principais informações sobre esses insetos. Espécies introduzidas e aquelas com risco de introdução foram listadas. Foram contabilizadas: 12 pragas exóticas introduzidas, relacionadas a eucaliptos, sem status quarentenário; 9 espécies relacionadas ao pinus, uma quarentenária; e 1 espécie relacionada à teca, quarentenária. Ao todo, foram abordados os problemas centrais para 57 espécies, acompanhados de projeções sobre risco atual e prioridades. Programas de controle biológico e seus respectivos agentes também foram citados. Para os plantios de eucaliptos, as esp