September 25, 2019

Dear fellow North American classical biocontrol workers and others:

The catalog of parasitoid and predators released in North America for
classical biocontrol of insects (since 1985) is now available as a
searchable on-line database.

You can view the catalog at https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__northamericanbiocontrol.com_index.php&d=DwICAg&c=u6LDEWzohnDQ01ySGnxMzg&r=gX9RjbNELhwwXGNJRzCwLdp250A-N5DiH8hQFoVrOzA&m=GyIur0SVC3tBxnoStuRBoFuntVAiUTdgtQTGTeePPOM&s=sfQ_4NdARe8HWvKKXsuuDcgO8BWvTsibCyWjgAJBUac&e=

There are two ways to view the catalog at this website. One is as the
original word document, which can be searched for any word (the same as 
any other Word document).  The other is as a  searchable database where
selected attributes have been identified and rendered searchable. This
version allows calculations to be made, for example, of the numbers per
year, per agent, per target pest, etc. or to search all records for a
particular agent, a particular host, etc., rates of establishment, rates
of control of the pest, and more.

Attached here also are
1) the list of people that I sought information from when writing the
original catalog, which is divided by state and province, for the US and
Canada (most of my information from Mexico came from one source). 
Please circulate this email to anyone you know who is not on the list
that is interested in classical biocontrol of insects or mites and who
may have introduced agents that I have missed, or, most importantly, 
might introduce new agents in the future.

2) To correct errors in existing records or create records for new
species introduced in the future (or that I missed), use the Contact
button at the top of the web site's home page. But to help organize
information for new records,  I have attached to this email a brief form
in Word that you can fill in off line and then paste into the message
box. Messages come to me (Roy Van Driesche, UMASS) and I will make
corrections or create new records for missed or new agents. (Note:  I
know I missed the release of emerald ash borer parasitoids in Canada and
am in the process of correcting that oversight, but if you have the
details and good references, please send them to me.)

Finally, I want to thank Dick Reardon of the USDA FS for funding this
project. I also want to thank Rachel Winston who greatly helped (as
editor and layout person) in the creation of the printed version of this
catalog and who was a valuable interface between me and Becca Winston,
who together with others in the company MIA created the searchable
website.

Looking to the future, it is hoped by myself and others that all new
agents' first releases will be recorded in this website, which will over
time become the definitive record of biological control through
introductions in North America.

Best wishes,

Roy Van Driesche
UMass Amherst
vandries@cns.umass.edu