From detection to action—a proposed workflow to ensure first reports of alien species from molecular analyses are acted upon

Biosecurity is crucial for managing biological invasions, yet communication gaps between detection and action often hinder timely responses. In South Africa, the polyphagous shot hole borer ( Euwallacea fornicatus ) was first recorded through a DNA barcoding project in 2012 but no action was taken until a separate field observation was made in 2017. Here we present a workflow that aims to ensure molecular observations are evaluated and acted upon. We demonstrate its value using South Africa as a case study. 10,084 records from South Africa’s ‘Barcode of Life Data System’ were compared with three datasets: a watch list of species of concern (400 species), a list of high-risk pests detected at-border, but not post-border (218 species); and the Botanical Database of Southern Africa (BODATSA, 68,153 records). Four species from the BOLD were identified as being on the watch list or in the list of detected high-risk pests and four species were flagged as possible additions to the list of alien plants outside of cultivation in South Africa. The method is codified in a simple, generalisable workflow that, we argue, will improve the flow of information from detection to action and so allow biosecurity systems to become more responsive.