Range Expansion and Invasive Capacity of the Wing Di- and Polymorphic Insects: A Short Review

In this review article the invasive potential of wing dimorphic and polymorphic insects is discussed by presenting two case studies and overviewing the general knowledge of the dispersal abilities of these insects. Flying morphs of the wing dimorphic rice planthoppers Nilaparvata lugens and Sogatella furcifera continuously re-invade the rice fields in Japan and Northern China, where subsequent generations of dimorphic populations build up, causing several economic damages. The rapid range expansion of the wing dimorphic bush cricket Metrioptera roeselii in Central and Northern Europe in the 2000s was documented and extensively studied. These case studies are analysed, and the general relation of wing dimorphism and polymorphism and invasive potential is briefly discussed using the extensive knowledge on the wing dimorphism and polymorphism present in different insect orders.