This study characterizes the chemical defense system of the invasive longhorn beetle Aromia bungii, a destructive pest of Prunus trees, addressing the limited understanding of chemical defensive mechanisms in Cerambycidae. High-speed cameras, environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), dissection, and micro-CT imaging were used to investigate defensive behavior, and the structure of the defense system, in this beetle. Both sexes of A. bungii possess a pair of triangular, sac-like defensive glands symmetrically located in the metathorax, attached to the metasternum. Upon mechanical stimulation, white liquid defensive substances are rapidly ejected through a pair of slit-shaped openings (~200 µm) at the metasternum corners, without gland eversion, reaching over 50 cm. The average weight of substances ejected in first sprays was 7.95 ± 0.79 mg for females and 8.62 ± 2.13 mg for males (mean ± se), with no significant difference between sexes. However, the weight in second sprays after 10 days was significantly lower, at 2.93 ± 0.54 mg for females and 2.22 ± 0.40 mg for males (mean ± se), suggesting that the beetles cannot re-synthesize the substances soon after spray. The weight of ejected substances had no correlation with beetle body weight. Our findings represent the first detailed morphological and functional description of a chemical defense system in Cerambycidae, revealing a specialized metasternal gland and spray mechanism. The substantial but likely non-renewable defensive substances reflect an adaptive trade-off in energy allocation between reproduction and defense in this species that exhibits high fecundity but a short lifespan at the adult stage.

The red-necked longhorn beetle Aromia bungii is a destructive wood-borer difficult to control with insecticides. We evaluated a combined biocontrol strategy using the ectoparasitic mite Pyemotes zhonghuajia and the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana. Fungal virulence was dose- and stage-dependent, causing up to 100% mortality at 10⁸ conidia mL⁻¹ within 5–7 days. Mites alone induced limited mortality (~44% in young larvae, ≤7% in older ones), whereas conidia-carrying mites achieved complete kill within 7–8 days, comparable to direct fungal application. The combination significantly accelerated mortality (P < 0.05), reflecting synergistic interaction between mite venom and fungal infection. These findings highlight the potential of P. zhonghuajia as both a parasitoid and a vector for B. bassiana, offering an innovative and eco-friendly approach to manage A. bungii and related xylophagous pests.

Method developed to detect invasive wood-boring Aromia bungii (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) can be used to detect it in its native habitat

Invasive wood-boring pests cause significant damage to trees worldwide. Here we designed an insecticidal bait device to attract and kill adult red-necked longhorn beetles (Aromia bungii; Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) that emerge from tree trunks and are captured in netting installed around the trunks. Insecticides were screened in laboratory dietary toxicity tests and attractants were evaluated in net-cage choice tests. Acetamiprid was selected as the active insecticide and sugar-vinegar solution as the attractant. Bottle-based bait devices were constructed to deliver the liquid bait via an exposed wick from which the adult beetles could feed. In a quasi-field trial, the bait devices achieved 100% mortality of adult A. bungii within several days of their emergence from netted peach branches. In field trials targeting adults emerging from cherry tree trunks, mortality rates were lower and varied from 22% to 81%. Increasing the size of the bait device improved its killing efficacy. Insecticidal baits have the potential to effectively control adult A. bungii emerging from netted trees. However, for practical application, further improvements in efficacy are needed, particularly through the identification of more potent attractants and the optimization of bait formulations. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Abstract Parasitoid wasps face increased mortality when paralyzing resistant hosts, involving host adaptation and biocontrol. This study investigates the plasticity of host adaptation in the ectoparasitoid Sclerodermus guani by examining how long‐term rearing on hosts of differing resistance influences parasitism performance. Two distinct wasp lineages were established: the stressful Ma lineage, continuously reared on the highly resistant Monochamus alternatus (Ma) larvae, and the susceptible Sp lineage, continuously reared on the non‐resistant Saperda populnea (Sp) larvae. Host preference assays revealed that Ma wasps exhibited a significant preference for Ma larvae, while Sp wasps favored Sp larvae. Although Ma wasps experienced higher mortality and a lower population increase index when reared on Ma larvae compared to the performance of Sp wasps on Sp larvae, they demonstrated superior parasitism efficiency when tested against resistant hosts. Specifically, Ma wasps had significantly lower mortality rates and higher population increase index than Sp wasps when both were tested on Ma larvae. In dual‐parasitism trails, where 1 Ma wasp and 1 Sp wasp were introduced to the same Ma larvae, and in group trails involving 3 wasps from each lineage on the novel, high‐resistant host Aromia bungii, the Ma wasps outperformed Sp wasps in paralysis success. Behavioral assays further indicated that Ma wasps invested more time in accessing host resistance but were quicker in locating hosts compared to Sp wasps. This research provides valuable insights for improving the design of mass rearing strategies to maximize the effectiveness of biological control agents in integrated pest management programs.

This study aimed to determine whether sublethal doses of imidacloprid affect physiological and biochemical responses in Aromia bungii larvae that influence parasitism and offspring development of its parasitoids Sclerodermus guani. We first determined appropriate sublethal doses of imidacloprid against A. bungii by bioassay, then quantified feeding and biomass of A. bungii larvae with an artificial diet treated with sublethal doses of imidacloprid, and the activity of detoxification and defense enzymes in treated larvae. Subsequently, we determined how larvae fed with sublethal doses of imidacloprid affected the performance of S. guani. Results showed that sublethal doses of imidacloprid significantly decreased the feeding and biomass of A. bungii larvae, induced activity of the detoxifying enzyme GST, and inhibited the activity of another detoxifying enzyme CarE; the activity of antioxidant enzymes CAT, SOD, and POD were also induced and the effect was dose-dependent; total mortality of A. bungii larvae and developmental duration of S. guani offspring were not significantly affected, but compared with the control, the reproductive mortality rate of A. bungii decreased by 64.84%, 83.52%, and 100%, respectively at 0.5mg/kg, 1mg/kg, and 5mg/kg; the egg production of S. guani female decreased by 46.21%, 53.87%, and 69.08%, respectively, and the emergence rate decreased by 46.10%, 43.89%, and 100%, respectively; the sex ratio (female:male) of S. guani offspring was also decreased. Sublethal doses of imidacloprid had a significant impact on S. guani via induction of strong physiological and biochemical responses in the larval body of A. bungii.

Aromia bungii Faldermann (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) is one of the most serious stem-boring pests that infests Rosaceae fruit trees and ornamental trees. This study, based on occurrence data for this species, employed the MaxEnt model and meta-analysis method to predict the distribution range and centroid movement of A. bungii under the current and future climates in China. The study also analyzed the impact of environmental variables on its distribution. The meta-analysis results revealed that A. bungii has the highest distribution density within the altitude range of 0 to 300 m. The MaxEnt model identified six key environmental variables influencing the distribution of A. bungii, namely the minimum temperature of the coldest month (bio6), mean temperature of the wettest quarter (bio8), precipitation of the wettest month (bio13), precipitation of the driest month (bio14), precipitation seasonality (coefficient of variation) (bio15), and altitude. Under the current climate conditions, the most suitable distribution range of A. bungii is located between 92.6–120.38° E and 16.17–44.46° N, with highly suitable areas predominantly found in the North China Plain, the Shandong Hills, the area around the Bohai Sea, and the middle–lower reaches of the Yangtze River, covering a total area of 41.43 × 104 km2. Scenarios related to the future climate indicate a shift in the suitable habitats of A. bungii towards higher latitudes, with the centroid of the potentially suitable area shifting towards the northeast. This study provides supporting information for the control and management of this pest.

Abstract In 2022, EFSA was mandated by the European Commission's Directorate‐General for Health and Food Safety (M‐2022‐00070) to provide technical assistance regarding the list of Union quarantine pests qualifying as priority pests, as specified in Article 6(2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 on protective measures against plant pests. As part of Task C, EFSA conducted comprehensive expert knowledge elicitations on candidate priority pests, focusing on the lag period, rate of expansion and the impact on production (yield and quality losses) and the environment. This report provides the rationale for the dataset on Aromia bungii, delivered to the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, to feed into the Impact Indicator for Priority Pest (I2P2) model and complete the pest prioritisation ranking exercise.

The development of preventive methods against the invasive wood-boring beetle Aromia bungii, which infests Rosaceae trees, is required in Japan. We investigated the effect on eggs of several commercial insecticides whose active ingredients are registered to kill A. bungii adults or larvae by tree injection or spray. The ovicidal activity was evaluated using the corrected egg hatch rates based on the control (distilled water) after dipping pieces of cardboard, on which eggs were deposited, in liquid insecticide solutions for 10 sec. The egg-dipping tests revealed highly effective ovicidal activity in the following insecticides: more than 8000 ppm for fenitrothion, 1000 ppm for acetamiprid, 400 ppm for clothianidin, and 500 ppm for dinotefuran (corrected egg-hatch rates of approximately less than 5%). In terms of current registration in Japan, only fenitrothion (SUMIPAIN emulsion) and acetamiprid (MATSUGREEN liquid solution 2) by trunk spraying during the A. bungii reproductive period are adulticidal insecticide candidates with preventive potential through incidental ovicidal activity.

Aromia bungii is an invasive Cerambycidae of major concern at the global scale because of the damage caused to Rosaceae. Given the major phytosanitary relevance of A. bungii, predicting its spread in invaded areas and identifying possible new suitable regions worldwide remains a key action to develop appropriate management practices and optimise monitoring and early detection campaigns. To improve the predictive power of the modelling framework, a habitat suitability model (HSM), which includes host plants, was combined with a bioclimatic suitability model (BSM), both of which were calibrated on native occurrences. The range of A. bungii was substantially limited by the bioclimate, while habitat conditions acted as limiting factors in the species’ distribution. Host plants were the most important variable that positively influenced habitat suitability. Bioclimatic suitability improved as rainfall in the warmest quarter and average temperatures in the wettest quarter increased and as isothermality decreased. According to the combination of HSM and BSM, Japan is the most suitable area outside the native range of the species. In Europe, despite its high habitat suitability, it is difficult to expect a species to expand its range except through a substantial change in its bioclimatic niche.

Characterization of two complete mitochondrial genomes of Aromia bungii Faldermann, 1835 (Coleoptera: Chrysomeloidea: Cerambycidae)

Effects of neonicotinoid insecticide trunk injections on non-target arboreal ants, potential biological control agents for invasive longhorn beetle Aromia bungii on cherry trees

Identification and potential application of a putative allomone component in the defensive secretion of a destructive invasive species: the red-necked longhorn beetle, Aromia bungii

Calcium storage in Malpighian tubules and the putative use for pupal chamber formation in a wood-feeding insect

Abstract Longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae) are a diverse family of beetles that can cause considerable damage as forest pests and vectors of pathogens, as well as being important components of forest food webs and ecosystem functionality. In recent years, numerous cerambycid pheromones have been identified, revealing some broad general patterns in functionality in terms of sex or aggregation‐sex pheromones in different subfamilies and different types of compounds characterizing the pheromones of various cerambycid taxa. Here, we describe the identification of the aggregation‐sex pheromones of the Eurasian longhorn beetleAromia moschata moschata(L.) (Cerambycinae; tribe Callichromatini) and the North American speciesHolopleura marginataLeConte (Cerambycinae; Holopleurini), as part of an ongoing effort to extend the taxonomic coverage of identified cerambycid pheromones and to expand the prospects for cerambycid monitoring into the study of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Both species were found to use the novel pheromone compoundp‐mentha‐1,3‐dien‐9‐ol, which also attracted significant numbers of the longhorn beetleXestoleptura crassipes(LeConte) (Lepturinae; Lepturini) in trials in California.p‐Mentha‐1,3‐dien‐9‐ol represents a class of pheromone compounds novel to both tribes (Callichromatini and Holopleurini), further increasing the chemical space of identified pheromones within the subfamily Cerambycinae. This compound is also noteworthy because it represents an entirely different chemical class of pheromones than the monoepoxide (E)‐2‐cis‐6,7‐epoxynonenal, previously reported as an aggregation‐sex pheromone for the invasive Asian congenerAromia bungii(Faldermann).

Toxicity of insecticides, applied as trunk sprays, to the red-necked longhorn beetle <i>Aromia bungii</i> (Faldermann) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

Survey of damage and distribution of <i>Aromia bungii</i> by the participation of citizens in Saitama Prefecture and utilization of the data

ABSTRACT The control effects of a commercial-grade dinotefuran formulation “Wood-Star” applied via trunk injection against Aromia bungii larvae infestation in Japanese flowering cherry trees were evaluated. Twenty test trees were injected with this formulation in late April 2019, and the number of larval frass-excretion-holes with newly ejected frass (hereafter “active frass-holes”) in both treated and untreated trees was investigated weekly from April to May in 2019 and 2020. In addition, adult emergence-holes that occurred in 2018, 2019, and 2020 on each tree were counted. The total number of active frass-holes decreased by 21.2% in treated trees and increased by 178.9% in untreated trees within 4 weeks after injection. The insecticidal efficacy of the formulation was estimated as 88.2% based on the decreasing number of active frass-holes in the treated trees. Generalized linear models for the number of active frass-holes and newly occurring emergence holes suggested that dinotefuran treatment decreased the larval activity for at least 4 weeks, resulting in the suppression of emerging adults in the next year of treatment. However, active frass-holes and newly occurring emergence holes were observed in some treated trees in the succeeding year of the treatment. This suggested the possibility that the injection treatment in late April was, at least partially, invalid to control A. bungii larvae that originated from the eggs deposited in the adult reproductive period (June to August) of the treatment year.

Simple SummaryAromia bungii (Faldermann) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is a serious wood borer of stone fruit trees. Native to parts of Asia and Russia, this beetle recently invaded Germany, Italy, and Japan, causing enormous economic losses. Repellents are effective and sustainable control methods of insect pests. In this study, we identified the A. bungii female-repellency ingredients from Mentha spicata: myrcene, (S)-(+)-carvone, (E)-β-caryophyllene, and borneol, as well as their recommended quantities for use. These results contribute to research on repellents that prevent infestation and damage caused by A. bungii.Aromia bungii (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is an economically important wood-boring insect pest of stone fruit trees, particularly Prunus persica, in China. It has entered Japan and several European countries as an invasive species in recent years. It is difficult to control because of the cryptic feeding behaviour of larvae beneath the bark. Identification of repellent constituents from non-host plants has potential for use in management strategies against this beetle. Mentha spicata is cultivated extensively in Hebei Province (China) as a medicinal plant. Firstly, antennal responses of female A. bungii to M. spicata volatiles were evaluated by coupled gas chromatography-electroantennograms (GC-EAD), and then the EAD-active components were tested in semi-field trials. The results showed that A. bungii females were significantly repelled by myrcene, (S)-(+)-carvone, (E)-β-caryophyllene, and borneol compared with the control. The presence of myrcene (100 µL; 90% purity), (S)-(+)-carvone (200 µL; 96% purity), (E)-β-caryophyllene (500 µL; 98.5% purity), and borneol (800 µL; 80% purity) significantly reduced the perching rates of A. bungii females on both peach logs and leaves. Considering cost and commercial availability, we suggest that myrcene, (S)-(+)-carvone, and (E)-β-caryophyllene could be promising repellents against A. bungii females in the field.

Simple SummaryRecently, damage caused by the invasive longhorn beetle Aromia bungii in Rosaceae trees, such as ornamental cherry, peach, and Japanese apricot, has become a serious problem in Japan, indicating the need to establish an effective control program against the beetle. To determine the optimal timing for pest control, we surveyed the seasonal abundance of the adult beetle based on the number of adults sighted on host trees over 3 years at three study sites (one site from 2019–2021 and two sites from 2020–2021) in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. The field surveys revealed that adult appearance periods spanned 2 months (from June to August) and that the peak sightings occurred in late June. The adults were more abundant in the field in the early phase of the appearance periods. These results will help in the timely control of A. bungii adults to reduce their population density in the field. An optimal timing of application is near the peak day, which occurs in late June in Osaka Prefecture. Because seasonal adult abundance varies among regions, it is important to investigate each invaded region.A thorough understanding of the seasonal prevalence of invasive pests in newly invaded regions is key for establishing an appropriate and localized control plan for their successful eradication. In this study, we investigated the seasonal prevalence of the invasive longhorn beetle Aromia bungii (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. We determined the number of adult beetles sighted on host trees more than once a week from late May or early June to late August for 3 years at three study sites (one site from 2019–2021 and two sites from 2020–2021). The appearance period of A. bungii adults spanned over 2 months (June–August), and peak sighting in the field occurred in late June; the adults were more abundant in the early phase of their seasonal prevalence (around the peak dates) and almost disappeared by August. The number of adult beetles emerging from A. bungii-infested trees at one study site was surveyed daily in 2021. This survey showed a short-span adult emergence period: Approximately 1 month from the first emergence day, supporting the idea of the concentration of adult abundance in the early phase. These results will help to establish a timely pest-control plan for A. bungii in Osaka Prefecture.