Abstract
Coraebus florentinus (Herbst) is one of the most important wood borer pests damaging oak species in Mediterranean forests. Recently, the effect of temperature on the pre-imaginal development of this insect was established, and predictive models of survival and emergence in relation to temperature were performed, which allow scheduled management techniques to be fit in accordance with the biological timing of this species. In this study, the effect of selective pruning of damaged branches of Quercus species for controlling the population of this insect is assessed. The study was carried out in three plots located in the Sierra Morena Mountains (southern Iberian Peninsula). In each plot, forest features were typified, and the parameters “infestation level” and “population intensity” were quantified. The assessment was performed one year and five years after applying selective pruning. The most effective time to prune was established according to the predictive model mentioned above. After one year, the results indicated that selective pruning just before adult emergence was effective in reducing the population size and controlling damage. After five years, this effect was still significantly manifested. In addition, the results show that selective pruning is effective even in areas with lower initial rates of infestation.
Highlights
Coraebus florentinus (Herbts, 1801) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), commonly known as black-banded oak borer, is a wood borer beetle causing drying and subsequent death of branches of mostabundantQuercus species growing in the Mediterranean Region [1]
Warming conditions are linked to higher reproduction rates and quicker development [1]. In this way, rising temperatures are causing immigration of oak borers toward Central Europe, so much so that C. florentinus has recently been included among the wood borer species involved in oak declines in Europe [22]
Selective pruning of branches affected by C. florentinus is an effective method for controlling the populations of this insect, reducing the IL by up to 50%
Summary
Coraebus florentinus (Herbts, 1801) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), commonly known as black-banded oak borer, is a wood borer beetle causing drying and subsequent death of branches of mostabundantQuercus species growing in the Mediterranean Region [1]. At the end of the larval stage, the insect changes its boring direction, turning in the gallery and interrupting the sap flow. This causes the death of the branch upon completion of metamorphosis [3,4]. Insecticides would contaminate the cork, risking human health This is why current research aims to obtain attractants for the capture of adults (chromatic traps, pheromones, or aggregation compounds) and to develop an environmentally friendly approach to control this pest related to the chemical ecology of Forests 2018, 9, 49; doi:10.3390/f9020049 www.mdpi.com/journal/forests
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