Relationship between excessive monoculture of non-native species and the outbreak of Streblote siva in the south of the country

Considering the warm and dry climatic conditions of the southern regions of the country as well as dust and environmental contaminations, the conservation and development of forests and urban green spaces is of utmost importance. In these conditions, Conocarpus erectus has been planted in wide areas because of extreme compatibility, resistance to environmental stress, and its rapid growth.
Meanwhile, not paying attention to the importance of biodiversity in the development of plants and the lack of awareness of the consequences of large-scale cultivation of a non-native plant species have caused an outbreak of a harmless insect species called Streblote siva. This pest may also damage the native trees of the area and expensive costs are needed to harness it. In the past, the damage of S. siva was often seen sporadically and with a very small population on the Ziziphus spina-christi, but there are now high-density populations of this pest on the trees of C. erectus. Therefore, S. siva may be a key pest in the near future, threatening the development of Ziziphus, Acacia and Conocarpus forests.