Wood-boring Research Articles

The first fossil wedge-shaped beetle (Coleoptera, Ripiphoridae) from the middle Jurassic of China

A new species of Ripiphoridae Gemminger & Harold, 1870, Archaeoripiphorus nuwa gen. et sp. nov., is described and illustrated from a well-preserved impression fossil from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation collected at Daohugou Village, Shantou Township, Ningcheng County, Inner Mongolia, China, representing the oldest documented occurrence of the Ripiphoridae described from the Mesozoic era. It shares several characters belonging to two basal ripiphorid subfamilies (Pelecotominae and Ptilophorinae), but it cannot be attributed to either of them and is herein placed as Subfamily incertae sedis. An overall similarity between Archaeoripiphorus gen. nov. and Recent Pelecotominae and the occurrence of wood-boring beetles in the same Formation implies a similar parasitoid host preference in xylophagous beetles for A. nuwa gen. et sp. nov., putting a spotlight on a potential host-parasitoid relationship in the Mesozoic.

Production of Biomass by Schizophyllum commune and Its Antifungal Activity towards Rubberwood-Degrading Fungi

Rubberwood is the most popular timber for furniture manufacturing industry in Malaysia. Major drawback concerned that rubberwood is very prone to attack by fungi and wood borers, and the preservation method using boron compounds exhibited hazardous effect to the workers. Fungal-based biological control agents have gained wide acceptance and Schizophyllum commune secondary metabolite played an important role in term of antifungal agent productivity. The effects of initial pH, incubation temperature and agitation on biomass production by S. commune were investigated under submerged shake culture. In this work, it was found that the synthetic medium with initial solution pH of 6.5 and incubated at 30oC with shaking at 150 rpm provided the highest biomass production. The biomass extract from S. commune was then applied onto the rubberwood block panel to investigate its effectiveness. The results showed that biomass extract at a concentration of 5 μg/μL could inhibit the growth of selected rubberwood-degrading fungi, such as Lentinus sp., L. strigosus and Pycnoporus sanguineus.

Identification of wood-boring beetles (Cerambycidae and Buprestidae) intercepted in trade-associated solid wood packaging material using DNA barcoding and morphology

Global trade facilitates the inadvertent movement of insect pests and subsequent establishment of populations outside their native ranges. Despite phytosanitary measures, nonnative insects arrive at United States (U.S.) ports of entry as larvae in solid wood packaging material (SWPM). Identification of wood-boring larval insects is important for pest risk analysis and management, but is difficult beyond family level due to highly conserved morphology. Therefore, we integrated DNA barcoding and rearing of larvae to identify wood-boring insects in SWPM. From 2012 to 2015, we obtained larvae of 338 longhorned beetles (Cerambycidae) and 38 metallic wood boring beetles (Buprestidae) intercepted in SWPM associated with imported products at six U.S. ports. We identified 265 specimens to species or genus using DNA barcodes. Ninety-three larvae were reared to adults and identified morphologically. No conflict was found between the two approaches, which together identified 275 cerambycids (23 genera) and 16 buprestids (4 genera). Our integrated approach confirmed novel DNA barcodes for seven species (10 specimens) of woodborers not in public databases. This study demonstrates the utility of DNA barcoding as a tool for regulatory agencies. We provide important documentation of potential beetle pests that may cross country borders through the SWPM pathway.

New Communities on Eucalypts Grown Outside Australia

The expansion of eucalypt forestry worldwide has been accompanied by accidental and deliberate introductions of Australian insects associated with eucalypts. Local insect species have also colonized introduced eucalypts in many regions. This situation provides a unique opportunity to observe the development of new insect communities across trophic levels. Here the history of Australian invaders and native colonizers on eucalypts outside Australia is reviewed from the perspective of herbivore guilds: leaf chewers, sap suckers, wood borers, gall formers, termites. Historical patterns of invasion are identified across these guilds. Very few species of Australian leaf chewers, wood borers or termites have become widespread but these guilds are proportionately high in native colonizers. In contrast, sap suckers have multiple invasive species globally with relatively fewer native colonizers. The gall former guild also has several invasive species but so far includes no native colonizers, perhaps due to their tendency to have highly specific host plant associations. Natural enemies of Australian invaders are also members of new eucalypt insect communities, partly through planned biological control programs, but the rate of accidental introductions at higher trophic levels is increasing steadily. At the same time, local natural enemies enter eucalypt communities either to form new associations with Australian invaders or to follow native colonizers into this new habitat. Australian sap suckers have attracted far more new associations than other guilds so far. Native leaf chewers have often been followed by their local natural enemies into eucalypt communities, particularly in Brazil. Generally there are fewer records relating to local natural enemies and their role in new eucalypt communities. The complexity of new eucalypt communities outside Australia is expected to increase in future.

Olfactory Cues, Visual Cues, and Semiochemical Diversity Interact During Host Location by Invasive Forest Beetles

Plant-feeding insects use visual and olfactory cues (shape, color, plant volatiles) for host location, but the relative importance of different cues and interactions with non-host-plant volatiles in ecosystems of varying plant biodiversity is unclear for most species. We studied invasive bark beetles and wood borers associated with pine trees to characterize interactions among color, host and non-host volatiles, by employing traps that mimic tree trunks. Cross-vane flight intercept traps (black, green, red, white, yellow, clear) and black funnel traps were used with and without attractants (α-pinene + ethanol), repellents (non-host green leaf volatiles, 'GLV'), and attractant/repellent combinations in four pine forests in New Zealand. We trapped 274,594 Hylurgus ligniperda, 7842 Hylastes ater, and 16,301 Arhopalus ferus. Trap color, attractant, and color × attractant effects were highly significant. Overall, black and red traps had the highest catches, irrespective of the presence of attractants. Alpha-pinene plus ethanol increased trap catch of H. ligniperda 200-fold but only 6-fold for H. ater and 2-fold for A. ferus. Green leaf volatiles had a substantial repellent effect on trap catch of H. ligniperda but less on H. ater and A. ferus. Attack by H. ligniperda was halved when logs were treated with GLV, and a similar effect was observed when logs were placed among broadleaved understory shrubs emitting GLV. Overall, H. ligniperda was most strongly affected by the olfactory cues used, whereas H. ater and A. ferus were more strongly affected by visual cues. Collectively, the results support the semiochemical diversity hypothesis, indicating that non-host plant volatiles from diverse plant communities or artificial dispensers can contribute to resistance against herbivores by partly disrupting host location.

Effects of Hurricane-Felled Tree Trunks on Soil Carbon, Nitrogen, Microbial Biomass, and Root Length in a Wet Tropical Forest

Decaying coarse woody debris can affect the underlying soil either by augmenting nutrients that can be exploited by tree roots, or by diminishing nutrient availability through stimulation of microbial nutrient immobilization. We analyzed C, N, microbial biomass C and root length in closely paired soil samples taken under versus 20–50 cm away from large trunks of two species felled by Hugo (1989) and Georges (1998) three times during wet and dry seasons over the two years following the study conducted by Georges. Soil microbial biomass, % C and % N were significantly higher under than away from logs felled by both hurricanes (i.e., 1989 and 1998), at all sampling times and at both depths (0–10 and 10–20 cm). Frass from wood boring beetles may contribute to early effects. Root length was greater away from logs during the dry season, and under logs in the wet season. Root length was correlated with microbial biomass C, soil N and soil moisture (R = 0.36, 0.18, and 0.27, respectively; all p values < 0.05). Microbial biomass C varied significantly among seasons but differences between positions (under vs. away) were only suggestive. Microbial C was correlated with soil N (R = 0.35). Surface soil on the upslope side of the logs had significantly more N and microbial biomass, likely from accumulation of leaf litter above the logs on steep slopes. We conclude that decaying wood can provide ephemeral resources that are exploited by tree roots during some seasons.

Citizen monitoring of invasive species: wing morphometry as a tool for detection of alien Tetropium species

AbstractThe increasing threat of alien wood‐boring insect has resulted in the initiation of large‐scale monitoring programmes. These programmes are most often based on pheromone‐bailed traps, which allow the early detection and monitoring of invasive species. This approach is expensive because it entails the processing and accurate identification of large numbers of specimens. One of the most often suggested solutions to this problem is citizen participation in the monitoring of invasive species. Such an approach has the potential for reducing costs as well as providing data from a larger number of sites. However, citizens vary in taxonomic expertise and experience which can result in identification errors. This may be particularly important in the case of wood borers which include many morphologically similar species. In this study, we develop and discuss a semi‐automated method of identifying four morphologically similar and invasive Tetropium spp. wood borers as a potential tool for citizen‐based monitoring programmes. Identification is based on wing measurements and requires neither specialist knowledge nor expensive equipment. The method correctly identified the species of Tetropium with an error ranging from 1.3% for T. fuscum to 7.5% for T. cinnamopterum. We found that experience level of the individual user was not essential for correct identification; on average, inexperienced volunteers correctly identified the Tetropium species in 93% of cases. Further development of this method may be a significant step to overcoming the taxonomical impediment to citizen monitoring of taxonomically challenging groups of insects.

New Raffaelea species (Ophiostomatales) from the USA and Taiwan associated with ambrosia beetles and plant hosts.

Raffaelea (Ophiostomatales) is a genus of more than 20 ophiostomatoid fungi commonly occurring in symbioses with wood-boring ambrosia beetles. We examined ambrosia beetles and plant hosts in the USA and Taiwan for the presence of these mycosymbionts and found 22 isolates representing known and undescribed lineages in Raffaelea. From 28S rDNA and β-tubulin sequences, we generated a molecular phylogeny of Ophiostomatales and observed morphological features of seven cultures representing undescribed lineages in Raffaelea s. lat. From these analyses, we describe five new species in Raffaelea s. lat.: R. aguacate, R. campbellii, R. crossotarsa, R. cyclorhipidia, and R. xyleborina spp. nov. Our analyses also identified two plant-pathogenic species of Raffaelea associated with previously undocumented beetle hosts: (1) R. quercivora, the causative agent of Japanese oak wilt, from Cyclorhipidion ohnoi and Crossotarsus emancipatus in Taiwan, and (2) R. lauricola, the pathogen responsible for laurel wilt, from Ambrosiodmus lecontei in Florida. The results of this study show that Raffaelea and associated ophiostomatoid fungi have been poorly sampled and that future investigations on ambrosia beetle mycosymbionts should reveal a substantially increased diversity.

Effects of the emerald ash borer invasion on the community composition of arthropods associated with ash tree boles in Maryland, U.S.A.

Emerald ash borer (EAB) Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire is an invasive non-native woodboring beetle that has killed hundreds of millions of ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) in North America. Identifying the arthropod community associated with ash trees has been highlighted as an important research requirement in understanding the wider effects of EAB. We harvested live ash trees infested with EAB at 37 sites in Maryland from 2011 to 2014 and collected a total of 2031 arthropods. All arthropods were identified to order and 94.6% were identified to family or below. The community comprised 13 orders, 60 families and 41 genera, with 28 arthropod species identified. Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera accounted for 98.3% of arthropods collected. Data on changes in richness and diversity over time were fitted to second-order polynomial models, corresponding with a transition in the dominant taxa from woodboring beetles (Cerambycidae) to parasitoids (Braconidae and Eulophidae). This resulted in changes to community composition as the EAB infestation intensified. The findings of the present study provide further evidence of the diversity of arthropods at risk from EAB. Given the number of invasive non-native insects threatening North American forests, establishing what taxa are present is important for predicting the likely broader impacts of these invasions.

Pre-invasion economic assessment of invasive species prevention: A putative ambrosia beetle in Southeastern loblolly pine forests

Invasive wood borers vectoring pathogenic fungi have nearly exterminated several North American tree species, and it is unclear whether landscape dominant trees, such as pines, will face similar threats in the future. This paper explores the economic impacts of a hypothetical arrival of a destructive ambrosia beetle “X” (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) that infests loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) forests in the Southeastern United States. We develop an economic framework for pre-invasion assessment that incorporates fluctuating economic and environmental conditions for a representative loblolly pine stand and biological assumptions from the ongoing laurel wilt epidemic. Assuming an initial annual probability of arrival of a pine infesting ambrosia beetle to be between 0.04 and 0.07, we determine that, on average, the timber economic benefits for a forest landowner are $5325.3 ha-1, with a harvest time of 17.8 years. Our results indicate that an increase in enforcement consistent with an international phytosanitary standard that partially prevents the arrival of ambrosia beetles (30% arrival reduction) would have a strong, positive impact for forest landowners. On average, economic revenues increase to $6116.4 ha-1 and the harvest age is extended to 19 years. On average, the economic losses for forest landowners with no control of ambrosia beetle X would be $791 ha−1, with a harvest time reduction of 1.2 years. The upper-bound regional cost savings from pine-dominated forestry would be roughly $4.6 billion dollars if invasion preventative measures are in place. These benefits vastly outweigh the cost of programs that reduce the expected arrival of exotic ambrosia beetles.

Identification of Sphaeroma terebrans via morphology and the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene.

Sphaeroma terebrans, a wood-boring isopoda, is distributed worldwide in tropical and subtropical mangroves. The taxonomy of S. terebrans is usually based on morphological characteristics, with its molecular identification still poorly understood. The number of teeth on the uropodal exopod and the length of the propodus of the seventh pereopod are considered as the major morphological characteristics in S. terebrans, which can cause difficulty in regards to accurate identification. In this study, we identified S. terebrans via molecular and morphological data. Furthermore, the validity of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene as a DNA barcode for the identification of genus Sphaeroma, including species S. terebrans, S. retrolaeve, and S. serratum, was examined. The mitochondrial COI gene sequences of all specimens were sequenced and analysed. The interspecific Kimura 2-parameter distances were higher than intraspecific distances and no intraspecific-interspecific distance overlaps were observed. In addition, genetic distance and nucleotide diversity (π) exhibited no differences within S. terebrans. Our results revealed that the mitochondrial COI gene can serve as a valid DNA barcode for the identification of S. terebrans. Furthermore, the number of teeth on the uropodal exopod and the length of the propodus of the seventh pereopod were found to be unreliable taxonomic characteristics for S. terebrans.

Enhancing bark- and wood-boring beetle colonization and survival in vertical deadwood during thinning entries

Snags are used as habitat by several organisms, including bark- and wood-boring beetles, which contribute to snag decomposition and facilitate subsequent snag colonization by other organisms. However, snags seldom occur in young managed forests. This study examines how snag characteristics and spatial arrangement affect bark- and wood-boring beetle colonization and survival in spruce plantations subjected to commercial thinning, thinning with biomass removal and thinning with snag creation where a few clumps of trees were girdled. To this end, we documented the volume of snags, their characteristics and the number of beetle emergence holes in their basal section. Beetle colonization and survival to adulthood in snags was ~33 times greater when expressed per unit area in plantations supplemented with clumps of girdled trees than in other thinning regimes where low densities of beetle emergence holes per hectare were documented. Snag diameter at breast height, snag species and thinning treatments influenced the number of emergence holes per snag. Positive spatial autocorrelation between the abundance of emergence holes per snag was detected but no other spatial effect was noticeable. This work suggests that vertical deadwood is a limiting factor for bark- and wood-boring beetle colonization within plantations and challenges current thinking about the effect of thinning on beetle communities that was developed from window trap studies. These results underline the importance of large diameter snags for beetle conservation within managed forests and demonstrate that tree girdling during thinning entries is a viable method for creating snags to enhance beetle colonization and survival.

Two New, Substrate-Controlled Nonmarine Ichnofacies

ABSTRACTSubstantial ichnocoenoses of ichnofossil assemblages in nonmarine environments can be grouped into two, substrate-controlled ichnofacies. These are traces in plant tissues (mostly wood and leaves) and in bone. Plant tissues and bones provide distinctive, “hardground” substrates that are colonized and/or utilized in the nonmarine realm by a substantial diversity of organisms, mostly arthropods and microorganisms. The trace fossil record in plant substrates is diverse, extending back to the Devonian, and is dominated by borings in wood created for feeding, reproduction, and shelter and by feeding traces on leaves, including mines and galls. The Paleoscolytus ichnofacies named here includes nonmarine trace fossil ichnocoenoses dominated by feeding traces and borings of low to moderate ichnodiversity. Woody and foliar substrates typify the Paleoscolytus ichnofacies, and it is to some extent the subaerial counterpart of the previously named Teredolites ichnofacies. Bone provides a source for feeding, reproduction, and shelter for various arthropods; it is also a source of food for vertebrates, and it is modified in some settings by trampling and by human activities. Bone also undergoes bioerosion by microbial agents—bacteria, fungi and protozoans. The result is a diversity of traces preserved in fossil bone that encompass distinctive ichnofossil ichnocoenoses. The Cubiculum ichnofacies named here includes nonmarine and subaerial trace fossil ichnocoenoses dominated by macroscopic and microscopic borings produced by mobile feeders and the subordinate occurrence of damage by other bone utilizers, of generally low to moderate ichnodiversity and of high local abundance.

Variables associated with the occurrence ofIpsbeetles, red turpentine beetle and wood borers in live and dead ponderosa pines with post‐fire injury

AbstractRecently, wildfires and prescribed burning have become more frequent in conifer forests of western North America.Most studies examining the impacts of insects on trees with post‐fire injury have focused on contributions to tree mortality. Few studies have examined fire‐caused injuries to estimate the probability of attack by insects. Scant data quantifying insect associations with one another, or with live and dead fire‐injured trees, are available.We examined live and dead trees with varying levels of fire injury in wildfires in Colorado, Montana, Arizona and the Black Hills aiming to determine fire injury associated with insect infestation, co‐occurrence between insects and insect association with live and dead fire‐injured trees.Bole scorch height estimated the likelihood of attack byIpsspp. Diameter at breast height, bole scorch height and crown scorch height estimated the likelihood of attack byDendroctonus valensLeConte. Diameter at breast height and bole scorch height estimated the likelihood of attack by wood borers.Ipsspp.,Dendroctonus valensand wood borers were associated with one another.Ipsspp. beetles and wood borers were associated with dead fire‐injured trees, whereasD. valenswas often associated with live fire‐injured trees.Focusing on certain fire‐caused injuries may identify trees targeted byIpsspp. beetles,Dendroctonus valensand wood borers.

Fungal Associates of the Xylosandrus compactus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) Are Spatially Segregated on the Insect Body.

Studies of symbioses have traditionally focused on explaining one-to-one interactions between organisms. In reality, symbioses are often much more dynamic. They can involve many interacting members, and change depending on context. In studies of the ambrosia symbiosis-the mutualism between wood borer beetles and fungi-two variables have introduced uncertainty when explaining interactions: imprecise symbiont identification, and disregard for anatomical complexity of the insects. The black twig borer, Xylosandrus compactus Eichhoff, is a globally invasive ambrosia beetle that infests >200 plant species. Despite many studies on this beetle, reports of its primary symbionts are conflicting. We sampled adult X. compactus and infested plant material in central Florida to characterize the fungal symbiont community using dilution series, beetle partitioning, and DNA-based identification. X. compactus was consistently associated with two fungal taxa, Fusarium spp. and Ambrosiella xylebori Multivariate analyses revealed that A. xylebori was strongly associated with the beetle mycangium while Fusarium spp. were associated with the abdomen and external surfaces. The Fusarium spp. carried by X. compactus are not members of the Ambrosia Fusarium Clade, and are probably not mutualists. Fungal community composition of the mycangium was less variable than external body surfaces, thus providing a more consistent fungal inoculum. This is the first report of spatial partitioning as a mechanism for maintenance of a multimember ambrosia fungus community. Our results provide an explanation for discrepancies among previous reports, and suggest that conflicting results are not due to differences in symbiont communities, but due to inconsistent and incomplete sampling.

Response of the forest floor invertebrate community to canopy gap formation caused by early stages of emerald ash borer-induced ash mortality

Emerald ash borer (EAB; Agrilus planipennis) is an invasive wood-boring beetle that causes rapid ash tree mortality, widespread formation of canopy gaps, and accumulation of coarse woody debris (CWD) in forests. The objective was to quantify the effects of canopy gaps, ash CWD and their interaction caused by EAB-induced ash mortality on the forest floor invertebrate community. A two-year manipulative experiment was conducted in forests at NASA Plum Brook Research Station in Ohio, USA. Canopy gaps caused by ash mortality decreased the activity-abundance of some taxa, such as Opiliones, Carabidae and several families of Collembola, as well as invertebrate richness and diversity, but had minor effects on community composition. CWD had minimal effects on the forest floor invertebrate community overall, but altered the activity-abundance of several invertebrate groups, and marginally increased taxonomic evenness in closed canopy treatments. The results of this study suggest that the effects of ash mortality on forest floor invertebrate communities change over time due to an inverse temporal relationship in magnitude effects of canopy gaps, which diminish over time, and accumulation of CWD, which increases over time. These findings contribute to our understanding of the effects of disturbance on ecosystems and the cascading ecological impacts of emerald ash borer invasions in forests.

Tree species and position matter: the role of pests for survival of other insects

Abstract We investigated insects overwintering in Norway spruce and Scots pine killed by cambium‐feeding beetles. The study was conducted in five large forests in north‐eastern Poland. Insects were reared from wood samples cut from the upper and lower parts of trees growing in both shaded and sun‐exposed conditions. We found that the species richness of overwintering insects on killed trees was mainly driven by the position in the lower trunk strata rather than in crowns or along a sun–shade gradient. Even though pine and spruce shared almost the same species composition, spruce hosted a significantly higher number of species, including beneficial ones. These results support the hypothesis that disturbance regimes change the spatial distribution of biodiversity, which is higher in low strata, as is known for abiotic disturbances that change the environment of the forest. One of the most important messages emerging from the present study is that pest beetle disturbance during non‐outbreak periods creates habitats that are necessary for the survival of myriads of other insects. Thus, maintaining parts of the trees that were killed by bark and wood‐boring beetles, especially high stumps, would help to support biodiversity in managed forests.

Observed and anticipated impacts of drought on forest insects and diseases in the United States

Future anthropogenic-induced changes to the earth’s climate will likely include increases in temperature and changes in precipitation that will increase the frequency and severity of droughts. Insects and fungal diseases are important disturbances in forests, yet understanding of the role of drought in outbreaks of these agents is limited. Current knowledge concerning the effects of drought on herbivorous insect and pathogen outbreaks in U.S. forests is reviewed, and compared between the relatively mesic and structurally diverse forests of the eastern U.S. and the more xeric forests of the western U.S. Theory and limited evidence suggests a non-linear relationship between drought intensity and outbreaks of aggressive bark beetle species (i.e., those capable of causing extensive levels of tree mortality), where moderate droughts reduce bark beetle population performance and subsequent tree mortality, whereas intense droughts, which frequently occur in the western U.S., increase bark beetle performance and tree mortality. There is little evidence for a role of drought in outbreaks of the southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis), the only bark beetle species that causes large amounts of tree mortality in the eastern U.S. Defoliators do not show consistent responses to drought. The response of sapfeeders to drought appears non-linear, with the greatest performance and impacts at intermediate drought intensity or when drought is alleviated by wetter periods. Interactions between tree pathogens and drought are poorly understood, but available evidence suggests reduced pathogen performance and host impacts in response to drought for primary pathogens and pathogens whose lifecycle depends directly on moisture (humidity). In these cases, rates of reproduction, spread, and infection tend to be greater when conditions are moist. In contrast, secondary fungal pathogens (i.e., those that depend on stressed hosts for colonization) are anticipated to respond to drought with greater performance and host impacts. In the western U.S., drought increases stress on trees severely infected by mistletoes thereby predisposing mistletoe-infected trees to attack by insects, particularly bark beetles and wood borers. Research needed to advance understanding of drought impacts on forest insects and diseases, and the role of forest management in mitigation of infestations during drought are discussed.

Attractants for management of the pine sawyer beetle Monochamus sutor, a potential vector of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus

AbstractMonochamus sutor (Linnaeus) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is a secondary wood borer that has been hypothesized as capable of transmitting Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, the causal agent of pine wilt disease (PWD). This fact supposes a risk of spread of PWD over Europe and has created an urgent need for effective tools to detect and monitor both the nematode and the insect species that vectors it. Recent reporting of 2‐undecyloxy‐1‐ethanol as the M. sutor male‐produced aggregation pheromone has opened the possibility of developing an efficient lure for this species. It is known that some European bark beetle pheromone compounds and host volatiles kairomonally attract this species. Besides, smoke volatiles from burnt trees might play a role in M. sutor host location. In this work, field trapping experiments during 3 years in three countries (Spain, Sweden and Austria), aimed to develop an efficient pheromone‐kairomone lure operative for M. sutor management were carried out. Electroantennographic responses by M. sutor to Ips pheromones and to the Pityogenes chalcographus pheromone chalcogran were also studied. GC‐EAG recording showed that M. sutor males and females clearly responded to ipsenol and ipsdienol, and females also responded to 2‐methyl‐3‐buten‐2‐ol. Chalcogran elicited a response to M. sutor female antennae. In field tests, ipsenol was the most attractive kairomone to both sexes of M. sutor, whereas ipsdienol, cis‐verbenol and 2‐methyl‐3‐buten‐2‐ol were attractive and chalcogran was unattractive. When combined with the pheromone, most bark beetle kairomones increased catches of both sexes although chalcogran was completely ineffective. Thus, ipsenol was the strongest individual kairomone for M. sutor and the best single kairomone to be combined with the pheromone. Smoke volatile blends tested in Spain and Austria did not elicit responses, suggesting that these compounds are likely not involved in host finding by this species.

My Pine Is Under Attack—What Should I Do?

This guide is intended to help tree owners and Extension personnel in Florida and the adjacent southeastern region make decisions about backyard pine trees that display signs of attack by wood borers. The 3-page pictorial guide will help determine whether beetles have attacked a pine tree, how far along the attack has progressed, and what to do about it. There are many sources of pine stress other than insects, so for complete advice, please contact your county Extension agent or post your question at the Tree Health Diagnostics Forum at the University of Florida website. Written by Jiri Hulcr and published by the School of Forest Resources and Conservation, May 2016. FOR331/FR399: My Pine Is Under Attack—What Should I Do? A Primarily Insect-Based Decision-Support Guide for Pine Death Management (ufl.edu)