The systematics of the target weed must be well known before commencing surveys. This will prevent wastage of resources resulting from the collection of natural enemies from the wrong target weed.
Published information should be searched using on-line services, abstract journals and
CD-ROMs, and unpublished information obtained by contacting research and extension departments in areas where the target weed is a problem.
If possible, the population in the introduced range should be compared with the populations in the native range. This can be done using morphological comparisons either alone or in combination with techniques such as electrophoresis or DNA matching.
