The introduction and prevalence of invasive species is an alarming reality in South Africa. The emergence of invasive species has resulted in harmful consequences on various levels and has adverse impacts on the environment and the economy. Hence, biological invasions demand attention. The control and eradication of invasive species can serve to minimise their adverse impact. In 2019 the South African National Biodiversity Institute highlighted the threats posed by biological invasions in South Africa and specifically identified Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer Beetles as a significant new invasive species in South Africa that has a demonstrable ongoing detrimental impact on varieties of trees. Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer Beetles have been detected in various urban areas in South Africa, including the City of Cape Town. This note briefly examines the control and eradication of invasive species in urban areas in terms of the South African legal framework, specifically against the backdrop of the emergence of the Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer Beetles in the City of Cape Town.

RESUMO. Os carabídeos (Coleoptera: Carabidae) são considerados predadores polífagos e importantes inimigos naturais de insetos pragas. No entanto, pouco se sabe sobre os hábitos alimentares destes besouros. Neste trabalho, determinamos o tipo de conteúdo alimentar no trato digestivo de nove espécies de Carabidae associados a plantas herbáceas e diferentes estágios de crescimento de algodão colorido. O conteúdo alimentar foi avaliado no cultivar de algodão colorido BRS Verde Gossypium hirsutum L. latifolium Hutch. e nas adjacencias da área com algodoeiro, foi inserido canteiros com plantas daninhas e plantas herbáceas floriferas (PHF) Lobularia maritima (L.), Tagetes erecta L. e Fagopyrum esculentum Moench. A análise trato digestivo indicaram vários tipos de dietas e artrópodes relacionados com Abaris basistriata, Galerita brasiliensis, Scarites sp., Selenophorus alternans, Selenophorus discopunctatus e Tetracha brasiliensis. Os carabídeos estudados foram considerados predadores polífagos, alimentando-se de diferentes tipos de presas.

ABSTRACT. The carabids (Coleoptera: Carabidae) are recognized as polyphagous predators and important natural enemies of insect pests. However, little is known about the feeding habits of these beetles. In this work, we determine the types of food content in the digestive tracts of nine species of Carabidae associated with herbaceous plants and different growth stages of coloured cotton. The food contents were evaluated for beetles associated with the coloured cotton cv. BRS verde, Gossypium hirsutum L. latifolium Hutch., adjacent to weed plants and the flowering herbaceous plants (FHPs) Lobularia maritima (L.), Tagetes erecta L., and Fagopyrum esculentum Moench. The digestive tract analysis indicated various types of diets and related arthropods for Abaris basistriata, Galerita brasiliensis, Scarites sp., Selenophorus alternans, Selenophorus discopunctatus and Tetracha brasiliensis. The carabids were considered to be polyphagous predators, feeding on different types of prey.