Scolytinae in hazelnut orchards of Turkey: clarification of species and identification key (Coleoptera, Curculionidae).

Celal Tuncer,Jiri Hulcr,Milos Knizek

doi:10.3897/zookeys.710.15047

Abstract

Hazelnut, a very important cash crop in Turkey, is frequently colonized by bark and ambrosia beetle species (Scolytinae). Some scolytine species may cause economic damage while other species do not; therefore, proper identification is important in orchard management. Extensive sampling demonstrated that the most common pest species in Turkey’s hazelnut orchards are Anisandrus dispar, Xylosandrus germanus, and Xyleborinus saxesenii. Hypothenemus eruditus can also be common, but only colonizes branches that are already dead. Lymantor coryli, Hypoborus ficus, Taphrorychus ramicola, and Taphrorychus hirtellus are rare and do not causes damage to live plants. Xyleborinus saxesenii appears to have been frequently misidentified and misreported as either L. coryli or Xyleborus xylographus. The former is rare, and the latter probably does not occur in Turkey. To avoid future misidentifications, a dichotomous identification key is provided for bark and ambrosia beetles of hazelnut orchards in Turkey.

Highlights

Turkey is the world’s largest hazelnut producer, supplying nearly 80% of the total global production
X. xylographus was provided by the Museum of Entomology (FSCA) at the Division of Plant Industry (DPI) of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Gainesville, FL, University of Florida (USA)
A list of the bark and ambrosia beetles present in hazelnut orchards of Turkey is provided in Table 1

Summary

Introduction

Turkey is the world’s largest hazelnut producer, supplying nearly 80% of the total global production. The plantations in Turkey occupy nearly 690,000 ha (Anonymous 2013), produce 430,000 – 800,000 tons/year (TUIK 2011), and generate approximately 2 billion USD (Anonymous 2016). It is one of the primary cash crops for many farmers, especially in the Black Sea region. Turkey is the world’s primary hazelnut producer, its productivity per area is lower than that of hazelnut-growing Western countries. Hundreds of insect and mite species have been found to be pests in Turkish hazelnut orchards (Tuncer and Ecevit 1997), ten of which have been classified as significant pests in hazelnut production, including bark and ambrosia beetles

Methods

Results

Conclusion