Insects can destroy crops, resulting in millions of dollars in lost yield.

That's why researchers at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) want to know more about invasive alien insects before they become a threat here in Canada.

Dr. Meghan Vankosky is based in Saskatoon.

"The objective of the project was to identify a few insect species of concern that could become invasive in Canada and use information on their biology and the climate date from Canada in order to put those things into a model to predict where in Canada those particular species might become established and if they have known parasitoids or predators then we were also hoping to include the parasitoids and predators in that model because that would allow for future work in biological control."

AAFC says that species that are invasive pests in the United States and those that cause significant damage on Canadian-grown crops in their area of origin are prime candidates for study. One target is the spotted lanternfly, a planthopper invasive to the US that threatens over 70 species of trees and shrubs including apples, grapes, maple trees and ornamental shrubs. Other examples include the khapra beetle (a pest of stored grains that affects international trade) and the kudzu bug (a potential pest of soybeans).

The research project will wrap up in 2021.