Biosecurity in a Biodiversity Hotspot: An Updated Checklist of the Thysanoptera Fauna of New Caledonia

The insect order Thysanoptera is used as an indicator of the vulnerability to foreign insect invasions of New Caledonian ecosystems—both the unique natural systems, and the agricultural and horticultural systems on which the economy is dependent. A total of 103 species in 67 genera of Thysanoptera are here listed from New Caledonia, in contrast to the 68 species in 44 genera that were recorded 23 years ago. Of the 103 species, 22 are not known from anywhere else in the world. Thus, up to 80% of these insect species have arrived in New Caledonia from other countries, with a very high proportion likely to have been introduced through modern trading patterns, despite vigorous efforts by quarantine services.