Exploitation of Vibration Sensing for Pest Management in Longicorn Beetles

Abstract

Many insects exhibit sensitivities to substrate-borne vibrations. Some beetles detect vibrations via leg chordotonal organs and respond with predator avoidance or sexual communication. Because vibrations modify insect behaviors, vibrations could be exploited for physical pest control to reduce insect damage to plants. Here we review the abilities of beetles to sense vibrations and the use of vibrations as a pest management option for the longicorn beetle Monochamus alternatus, a vector of the lethal pine wilt disease, and other longicorn beetles. More specifically, we report new findings describing leg chordotonal organs and behavioral control methods using vibrations in M. alternatus and Moechotypa diphysis, a pest of mushroom bed logs. These beetles show freezing and startle responses when exposed to low-frequency vibration pulses. We characterize the morphologies of the femoral chordotonal organs and their central projections, and describe a new procedure for vibrational pest management, based on vibration sensitivities in longicorn beetles. For this method, a prototype vibration exciter that generates vibrations with large amplitudes is attached to a tree, and the vibrations from the exciter disrupt beetle feeding and walking by initiating startle and freezing responses by beetles. We believe that vibrations can be applied to plants to reduce future damage by various pests that are sensitive to vibrations.