Wood-boring Research Articles

Copperized Karanj Seed (Pongamia pinnata) Oil as an Alternative to Chemical Preservative in Plywood Manufacturing

Most chemicals used in wood preservation are toxic to the environment. Use of synthetic preservatives are highly prevalent in plywood manufacture. Wood, which is the basic raw material for plywood manufacture, being ligno-cellulosic material is liable to degradation due to microbiological organisms and other biological wood destroying organisms causing significant loss. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an alternate naturally available preservative which will be effective for plywood manufacture. Karanj or Pongamia pinnata is known for its anti-fungal and pesticide properties that make it an ideal material as wood preservative. Therefore, an attempt was made to develop an eco-friendly green preservative using naturally available plant resources with high toxicity to wood destroying organisms and low toxicity to humans. Copper was incorporated into Karanj seed extractive and 12mm thick plywood samples were prepared at different concentrations 0.5% to 5% of preservative which were subjected to tests for efficacy study and mechanical properties as per Indian Standards. From the results obtained in this study, it can be concluded that 3% concentration of the preservative can be utilized in plywood manufacture which can resist against wood borers and termites. Concentration above 3% of the preservative interfere with the bonding properties of the resin and significantly reduces glue shear strength.

Rhexoxylon piatnitzkyi and its ancient adversaries: deciphering plant-beetle interactions and its palaeoecological significance in the Ischigualasto Formation (Upper Triassic, Argentina)

ABSTRACT We present the anatomical study of axes of the corystosperm Rhexoxylon piatnitzkyi and the interactions of this plant with wood-boring beetles. We used a CT scanner and thin sections to reconstruct the boring pattern inside the plant axes, as well as the tissues affected by the beetle. The galleries were abundant in the branch of R. piatnitzkyi, including both longitudinal and transverse borings, and less frequent in the trunks. The galleries are bored preferentially in the secondary phloem and in the pith. The position of the galleries as well as the cell and tissue composition of the frass indicates that the borer was mainly a corticophagous insect. The sample also presents evidence of white rot by lignivorous fungi, and fragments of tracheids can be recognised in the frass that fills the galleries, indicating that the borer had some capacity to feed on decayed wood. The anatomical features of the secondary xylem and phloem suggest that the plant deployed defence mechanisms against the fungal decay and/or the boring beetle. This is the first evidence of insect galleries in axes of corystosperms, a dominant group of plants during the Triassic in Gondwana, and the first possible record of cerambycid borings.

Nutritional composition of edible wood borer beetle larvae in Kenya

Nutritional composition of edible wood borer beetle larvae in Kenya

Early impact assessment of the paninvasive polyphagous shot hole borer beetle on commercial pear production

AbstractThe polyphagous shot hole borer (PSHB) beetle, Euwallacea fornicatus (Eichhoff) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae), and its phytopathogenic fungal symbiont (Fusarium euwallaceae Freeman et al.) threaten commercial and urban tree species worldwide. This pest–fungus complex has been newly discovered in the commercial deciduous fruit industry (Western Cape, South Africa), where its effect is still unknown. This study explored the impact of PSHB infestation on fruit quality and plant water‐use efficiency (WUE) – as indicated by carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios – of commercially cultivated Packham's Triumph pear trees within the first year of invasion, as well as changes in phenotypic plasticity (trait expression range). The impact of PSHB infestation is currently most evident in fruit quality traits, with a clear distinction between the control and most densely attacked tree categories. Fruit and leaf traits showed high variation and a significant change in phenotypic plasticity. Increased PSHB attack density was associated with smaller, duller‐toned, sweeter fruit at the time of harvest and data tended towards reduced plant WUE. Producers can expect significant variation in fruit quality and plant WUE even in hosts without branch dieback, visible plant stress or extensive beetle breeding, especially in orchards where infestations persist beyond the first year. These findings necessitate additional research to describe the long‐term impact, examine the threat to other deciduous fruit crops and cultivars and assess the need for adapted management or harvesting methods.

Enantiomeric composition of α-pinene affects catches of bark and wood boring beetles, and associated species, in ethanol-baited multiple-funnel traps.

In 2009, we determined the effects of the enantiomeric composition of the kairomone, α-pinene, on trap catches of arboreal beetles (Coleoptera) in stands of eastern pine trees with resin dominated by (+)-α-pinene. We hypothesized that the responses of beetles would correlate with the predominant enantiomer of α-pinene found in host pines. Lures of (+)-, racemic (±), and (-)-α-pinene were added separately to ethanol-baited multiple-funnel traps. Species such as Monarthrum mali (Fitch), Dendroctonus terebrans (Olivier), Ips grandicollis (Eichhoff), and Pachylobius picivorus (Germar) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) showed a preference for traps co-baited with (-)-α-pinene. α-Pinene enhanced attraction of Hylastes salebrosus Eichhoff, Hylastes porculus Erickson and Hylastes tenuis Eichhoff (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) to ethanol-baited traps with no effects from enantiomeric composition of α-pinene. The attraction of the ambrosia beetles, Xyleborinus saxesenii (Ratzeburg) and Dryoxylon onoharaense (Murayama) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) to ethanol-baited traps was interrupted by the addition of α-pinene, regardless of enantiomeric composition. Species such as Xylosandrus germanus (Blandford), Cnestus mutilatus (Blandford) and Stenoscelis brevis (Boheman) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) were unaffected by the presence of α-pinene. Trap catches of some species of longhorn beetles and bark beetle predators (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae, Cleridae, Elateridae, Histeridae, and Trogossitidae) were increased by the addition of α-pinene, although results varied by location. Platysoma spp. (Coleoptera: Histeridae) showed a marked preference for traps co-baited with (+)-α-pinene in Florida and Georgia. In summary, we found that the enantiomeric composition of α-pinene in hosts was not a good predictor of enantiomeric preferences by beetles.

Description of a new species of the genus Atanycolus Foerster (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) parasitizing Lamprodila nobilissima bellula (Lewis) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) in China

Atanycolus yangi sp. nov. (Hymenoptera, Braconidae), a new species parasitizing the flatheaded wood borer, Lamprodila nobilissima bellula (Lewis) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), is described. Lamprodila nobilissima bellula is a serious wood boring pest of Rosacea trees in North China. We collected adult specimens of A. yangi sp. nov. searching for hosts on infested tree trunks and confirmed the host-parasitoid association by dissecting parasitized hosts from infested trees in the field and rearing the parasitoid from L. nobilissima bellula -infested host tree logs in the laboratory. Adult images for both sexes of the new parasitoid species are provided. A morphological identification key to Oriental and Palaearctic species similar to A. yangi sp. nov is also presented.

The Mycobiome of The Gut of Willow Wood Borer, Xiphydria Prolongata (Hymenoptera: Xiphydriidae): A Rich Source of Rare Yeasts

A high-throughput amplicon sequencing as a culture-independent approach was used to identify the gut mycobiome of the willow wood borer Xiphydria prolongata. The findings of this study are significant in terms of the insect-fungal interactions and indicate the unexpected richness of the mycobiome and the presence of many rare yeast species in the wood borer gut. A total of 40 fungal genera were found, and among them, only one endophytic fungus, Daldinia (Hypoxylaceae), has been previously reported in Xiphydria. Zygosaccharomyces siamensis is the most prevalent ascomycete species, while Rhodosporidiobolus colostri is the most abundant basidiomycetous yeast in X. prolongata. Some of the species identified here were known as very rare fungi such as Skoua fertilis, Chaetomium nepalense, R. colostri, and Vustinia terrae. This study is also the first report on S. fertilis and V. terrae in the insect gut flora. These funguses most likely aid in the digestion of lignocellulose in the gut of wood borer. Therefore, further research is required to know the source of acquisition and functional role of these yeast and their industrial potential.

A Time-Frequency Domain Mixed Attention-Based Approach for Classifying Wood-Boring Insect Feeding Vibration Signals Using a Deep Learning Model.

Wood borers, such as the emerald ash borer and holcocerus insularis staudinger, pose a significant threat to forest ecosystems, causing damage to trees and impacting biodiversity. This paper proposes a neural network for detecting and classifying wood borers based on their feeding vibration signals. We utilize piezoelectric ceramic sensors to collect drilling vibration signals and introduce a novel convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture named Residual Mixed Domain Attention Module Network (RMAMNet).The RMAMNet employs both channel-domain attention and time-domain attention mechanisms to enhance the network's capability to learn meaningful features. The proposed system outperforms established networks, such as ResNet and VGG, achieving a recognition accuracy of 95.34% and an F1 score of 0.95. Our findings demonstrate that RMAMNet significantly improves the accuracy of wood borer classification, indicating its potential for effective pest monitoring and classification tasks. This study provides a new perspective and technical support for the automatic detection, classification, and early warning of wood-boring pests in forestry.

Potential distribution of Biscogniauxia mediterranea and Obolarina persica causal agents of oak charcoal disease in Iran’s Zagros forests

In Iran, native oak species are under threat from episodes of Charcoal Disease, a decline syndrome driven by abiotic stressors (e.g. drought, elevated temperature) and biotic components, Biscogniauxia mediterranea (De Not.) Kuntze and Obolarina persica (M. Mirabolfathy). The outbreak is still ongoing and the country’s largest ever recorded. Still, the factors driving its’ epidemiology in time and space are poorly known and such knowledge is urgently needed to develop strategies to counteract the adverse effects. In this study, we developed a generic framework based on experimental, machine-learning algorithms and spatial analyses for landscape-level prediction of oak charcoal disease outbreaks. Extensive field surveys were conducted during 2013–2015 in eight provinces (more than 50 unique counties) in the Zagros ecoregion. Pathogenic fungi were isolated and characterized through morphological and molecular approaches, and their pathogenicity was assessed under controlled water stress regimes in the greenhouse. Further, we evaluated a set of 29 bioclimatic, environmental, and host layers in modeling for disease incidence data using four well-known machine learning algorithms including the Generalized Linear Model, Gradient Boosting Model, Random Forest model (RF), and Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines implemented in MaxEnt software. Model validation statistics [Area Under the Curve (AUC), True Skill Statistics (TSS)], and Kappa index were used to evaluate the accuracy of each model. Models with a TSS above 0.65 were used to prepare an ensemble model. The results showed that among the different climate variables, precipitation and temperature (Bio18, Bio7, Bio8, and bio9) in the case of O. persica and similarly, gsl (growing season length TREELIM, highlighting the warming climate and the endophytic/pathogenic nature of the fungus) and precipitation in case of B. mediterranea are the most important influencing variables in disease modeling, while near-surface wind speed (sfcwind) is the least important variant. The RF algorithm generates the most robust predictions (ROC of 0.95; TSS of 0.77 and 0.79 for MP and OP, respectively). Theoretical analysis shows that the ensemble model (ROC of 0.95 and 0.96; TSS = 0.79 and 0.81 for MP and OP, respectively), can efficiently be used in the prediction of the charcoal disease spatiotemporal distribution. The oak mortality varied ranging from 2 to 14%. Wood-boring beetles association with diseased trees was determined at 20%. Results showed that water deficiency is a crucial component of the oak decline phenomenon in Iran. The Northern Zagros forests (Ilam, Lorestan, and Kermanshah provinces) along with the southern Zagros forests (Fars and Kohgilouyeh va-Boyer Ahmad provinces) among others are the most endangered areas of potential future pandemics of charcoal disease. Our findings will significantly improve our understanding of the current situation of the disease to pave the way against pathogenic agents in Iran.

Parasitoid wasps (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Doryctinae) reared from grape cane borer beetle Amphicerus bimaculatus (Olivier) (Bostrichidae) inhabiting pomegranate trees Punica granatum L. (Lythraceae) in Syria, new records and new tritrophic associations

ABSTRACT In the present study, four doryctine wasps, Dendrosotinus (Dendrosotinus) ferrugineus (Marshall, 1888), Euscelinus sarawacus Westwood, 1882, Leluthia (Euhecabolodes) nr. ruguloscolyti (Fischer, 1962), and Monolexis fuscicornis Foerster, 1863 (Braconidae), are recorded here for the first time for the Syrian fauna. All were reared from larvae of the grape borer beetle, Amphicerus bimaculatus (Olivier) (Bostrichidae), attacking Punica granatum L. (Lythraceae) in Homs (Syria). Both E. sarawacus and M. fuscicornis were formerly recorded as parasitoids of Amphicerus bimaculatus (Olivier) (Bostrichidae) attacking Punica granatum L. (Lythraceae). The other two, D. ferrugineus and L. nr. ruguloscolyti, are here recorded for the first time in association with A. bimaculatus and Punica granatum. The newly recorded species are here diagnosed and illustrated.

Differential Dominance of Ecological Processes Shapes the Longhorn Beetle Community in Tropical Rainforests and Temperate Forests of Southwest China.

(1) Background: Understanding the relationship between community assembly and species coexistence is key to understanding ecosystem diversity. Despite the importance of wood-boring longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae) in forests, factors affecting their population dynamics, species richness, and ecological interactions remain underexplored. (2) Methods: We surveyed cerambycid beetles and plants within five plots each across three transects in tropical rainforests and temperate forests of Yunnan, China, known for its rich biodiversity and varied elevation gradients. We explored a range of analytical tools, including α-diversity comparisons, distance-decay relationships, redundancy analysis, β-dissimilarity metrics, and various neutral community model analyses. (3) Results: The results revealed a stark contrast between the two forest types: the tropical rainforests hosted 212 Cerambycidae and 135 tree species, whereas the temperate forests had only 16 Cerambycidae and 18 tree species. This disparity was attributed to differences in environmental heterogeneity and dispersal limitations. In temperate forests, pronounced environmental variability leads to steeper distance-decay relationships and reduced α-diversity of Cerambycidae, implying stronger dispersal constraints and weaker plant-beetle associations. Conversely, the more homogenous tropical rainforests exhibited stochastic processes that enhanced Cerambycidae diversity and plant-beetle interactions. (4) Conclusions: Our findings underscore that environmental heterogeneity, dispersal limitations, and host-specificity are pivotal in shaping biodiversity patterns in Cerambycidae, with significant variations across climatic zones.

<div>First record of saproxylic beetle Corticeus (= Hypophloeus) unicolor Piller & Mitterpacher, 1783 in Montenegro (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) with comments on old-growth forests conservation in the Country</div>

The occurrence of Darkling Beetle Corticeus (=Hypophloeus) unicolor Piller & Mitterpacher, 1783 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), a saproxylic predator beetles, is reported for Montenegro. The species develops in freshly the dead wood of birch, beech, and oak trees. It is probably a predator of the larvae of the beetle Hylecoetus and other wood borers. C. unicolor was found in the Biogradska Gora National Park, in the north-western part of the Bjelasica mountain range in the Dinaric Alps (Montenegro), in October 2022 in an old-growth beech forest at about 1,000 m elevation.

The genome sequence of a metallic wood-boring beetle, Agrilus cyanescens (Ratzeburg, 1837).

We present a genome assembly from an individual female Agrilus cyanescens (metallic wood-boring beetle; Arthropoda; Insecta; Coleoptera; Buprestidae). The genome sequence is 292.3 megabases in span. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 10 chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the X sex chromosome. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 15.91 kilobases in length.

Facilitation: Isotopic evidence that wood-boring beetles drive the trophic diversity of secondary decomposers

Deadwood heterogeneity is regarded as a primary causal driver of deadwood-associated soil biodiversity, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. This is partly due to the technical difficulties in disentangling and quantifying different components (e.g., deadwood is both habitat and food) of heterogeneity to which soil organisms may have context-dependent responses. Furthermore, non-trophic interactions, e.g., facilitation, also add complexity to deadwood heterogeneity-biodiversity relationships, yet their influences are unaccounted for in most deadwood biodiversity studies. To address these research gaps, we sampled isopod communities from 40 logs of two isotopically distinct tree species, which had been cut and incubated reciprocally for eight years in each of two environmentally contrasting sites (e.g., differences in background isotopic signatures and litter turnover rates). We then assessed the extent to which the variation in the biodiversity of isopod communities is explained by deadwood heterogeneity induced by wood-boring beetles. Stable isotope ratios (i.e., δ13C and δ15N) were employed to examine the response of trophic diversity of isopod communities to the rarely tested food facet of deadwood heterogeneity. We hypothesized the deadwood heterogeneity is boosted by wood-boring beetles and thereby positively affects the abundance, taxonomic diversity and trophic diversity of isopod communities. Our results supported this hypothesis: the abundance and Shannon and Simpson diversity as well as trophic diversity of isopods were positively correlated to wood-boring beetle tunnel densities in both sites and across the two tree species. We observed significant tree species and reciprocal treatment effects on the δ15N values of isopods in one of the two sites. This result suggested that the use of deadwood as food sources versus habitats by isopods is environmentally dependent. This study demonstrates that there is substantial heterogeneity within deadwood that promotes the diversity and trophic diversity of macroinvertebrates. This relationship is mediated by saproxylic beetle facilitation, with implications for the roles of saproxylic beetles and within-deadwood heterogeneity in determining microbial wood decomposition in temperate forests.

Invasion of an Afrotemperate forest complex by the polyphagous shot hole borer beetle

AbstractThe polyphagous shot hole borer (PSHB), Euwallacea fornicatus Eichhoff (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae), is a significant tree‐killing pest recently introduced into South Africa. Many native trees in urban settings are susceptible to infestation, but the presence of PSHB in natural ecosystems is unstudied. The presence and drivers of PSHB colonization in 1682 trees of 68 species were evaluated in 51 plots across a native Afrotemperate forest complex in South Africa. Breeding colonies of PSHB were found in six native species (breeding hosts). An additional 11 species did not contain PSHB colonies but hosted its mutualistic fungus Fusarium euwallaceae Freeman et al. (Hypocreales: Nectriaceae). Invasibility increased when plots were closer to the urban infestation border, further away from surface water, and when containing a larger number of breeding hosts. Invasibility decreased with an increase in tree species richness. Polyphagous shot hole borers were found in climax forest distant to urban areas at sites frequented by tourists. The severity of infestation of trees increased with an increase in host diameter, breeding host abundance, and infested tree abundance. Probability of infestation increased with an increase in the number of infested trees. Infested trees were not spatially clumped. Instead, PSHB preferentially selected eight of the 17 native host species. And the data suggest that larger trees of these species may be more susceptible to PSHB. Eight species were infested at random and two were infested seemingly accidentally. Infestations increased more rapidly on larger trees and on those surrounded by a high abundance of breeding hosts. This study confirms that Afrotemperate forests are highly susceptible to invasion by PSHB. Direct anthropogenic impact had no discernible effect on infestations, but humans aided spread of PSHB to distant sites. Halting movement of contaminated wood is important. Management of PSHB should focus on highly infested areas and trees as these increase the likelihood of further and more severe infestations.

Physiological Activity of Quercus suber with a High Presence of Cerambyx welensii

The wood borer Cerambyx welensii Küster is a key contributor to Quercus open woodland (dehesa) decline. Among other factors, olfactory and visual cues could influence host colonisation by this species. In this study, we investigated whether the physiological performance and morphological features of Q. suber trees under summer stress are affected by C. welensii infestation. Additionally, we analysed the relation between morpho-physiological variables and the emission of monoterpenes that potentially mediate host selection by C. welensii. Thirty-six Q. suber trees with known monoterpene emission profiles were selected: 18 trees highly visited by C. welensii, and 18 neighbouring trees not visited or at least not visibly damaged by this wood borer. For each tree, we assessed photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and transpiration during the early evening, and also the perimeter and crown projection. Trees visited by C. welensii maintained higher photosynthetic activity than non-visited trees (1.5–2.15 times) from 19:35 to 20:45 h. Visited trees had larger perimeters and smaller crown projection area-to-perimeter ratios than non-visited trees. Results suggest that, under stress conditions, the physiological performance of trees infested by C. welensii could have favoured foliar emission of certain monoterpenes influencing intraspecific host selection by this species.

Chemical control of the polyphagous shot hole borer beetle (PSHB, Euwallacea fornicatus) and Fusarium euwallaceae in American sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua)

The polyphagous shot hole borer beetle (PSHB, Euwallacea fornicatus) is a pest of global significance. PSHB is an ambrosia beetle which, together with its mutualistic fungi (including Fusarium euwallaceae), can cause the death of more than 100 tree species in invaded ranges. Management of PSHB mostly relies on the removal of infested plant material. Chemical control options have been investigated only in the USA and Israel and only on a few tree species. This study evaluated four chemical treatments for the therapeutic control of PSHB on American sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) in South Africa (1) bifenthrin + surfactant (alcohol ethoxylate), (2) cypermethrin + surfactant (vitamin E) + salicylic acid, (3) emamectin benzoate, and (4) propiconazole. Trees were inoculated with F. euwallaceae and mature PSHB females using a novel technique to document fungal lesion development and PSHB colony establishment success. The bifenthrin and cypermethrin treatments reduced additional PSHB colonisation attempts on treated trees by ca. 40%, while the other treatments had no effect. Colony establishment success was reduced in all treatments by between 20 and 40%. Fungal growth was inhibited only after the application of propiconazole by ca. 36%. Gallery length and the number of PSHB individuals in successful colonies were unaffected by any of the chemical treatments. These results indicate that chemical control of PSHB is only partially effective. Successful PSHB management will likely depend on a combination of chemical control options and other control strategies in an integrated pest management program.

Diversity analyses of bacterial symbionts in four Sclerodermus (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) parasitic wasps, the dominant biological control agents of wood-boring beetles in China.

Sclerodermus wasps are important biocontrol agents of a class of wood borers. Bacterial symbionts influence the ecology and biology of their hosts in a variety of ways, including the formation of life-long beneficial or detrimental parasitic infections. However, only a few studies have explored the species and content of the symbionts in the Sclerodermus species. Here, a high-throughput sequencing study of the V3-V4 region of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene revealed a high level of microbial variety in four Sclerodermus waps, and their diversities and functions were also predicted. The three most prevalent phyla of microorganisms in the sample were Firmicutes, Bacteroides, and Proteus. The KEEG pathways prediction results indicated that the three pathways with the highest relative abundances in the S. sichuanensis species were translation, membrane transport, and nucleotide metabolism. These pathways differed from those observed in S. guani, S. pupariae, and S. alternatusi, which exhibited carbohydrate metabolism, membrane transport, and amino acid metabolism, respectively. Bacteroides were found to be abundant in several species, whereas Wolbachia was the most abundant among S. sichuanensis, with a significant negative correlation between temperature and carriage rate. These results offer insights into the microbial communities associated with the bethylid wasps, which is crucial for understanding how to increase the reproductive capacity of wasps, enhance their parasitic effects, and lower cost in biocontrol.

Identification and Functional Analysis of an Epsilon Class Glutathione S-Transferase Gene Associated with α-Pinene Adaptation in Monochamus alternatus.

Alpha-pinene is one of the main defensive components in conifers. Monochamus alternatus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), a wood borer feeding on Pinaceae plants, relies on its detoxifying enzymes to resist the defensive terpenoids. Here, we assayed the peroxide level and GST activity of M. alternatus larvae treated with different concentrations of α-pinene. Meanwhile, a gst gene (MaGSTe3) was isolated and analyzed. We determined its expression level and verified its function. The results showed that α-pinene treatment led to membrane lipid peroxidation and thus increased the GST activity. Expression of MaGSTe3 was significantly upregulated in guts following exposure to α-pinene, which has a similar pattern with the malonaldehyde level. In vitro expression and disk diffusion assay showed that the MaGSTe3 protein had high antioxidant capacity. However, RNAi treatment of MaGSTe3 did not reduce the hydrogen peroxide and malonaldehyde levels, while GST activity was significantly reduced. These results suggested MaGSTe3 takes part in α-pinene adaptation, but it does not play a great role in the resistance of M. alternatus larvae to α-pinene.

Development of novel LAMP and qPCR assays for rapid and specific identification of Bronze birch borer (Agrilus anxius)

AbstractBuprestids are an emerging threat to broadleaf forests across the world. Bronze birch borer (Agrilus anxius, BBB) poses a serious threat to European birch species if the insect were to be introduced. Due to their cryptic lifestyle feeding on the vascular tissue of their host plants, buprestids and other wood borers can be difficult to observe or detect. Early detection tools are vital to swiftly implement eradication measures and prevent the establishment of introduced species. In this study, we developed novel qPCR and LAMP assays for BBB and investigated the specificity and sensitivity for their use as early detection tools in European forests. Plant chemicals may limit these assays, so we conducted sensitivity testing with extracted foliage and plant vascular tissues to determine potential inhibition effects on DNA amplification. Both assays were specific to the target species when tested against the DNA of 17 other European Agrilus/buprestid species, two Scolytinae, and five Cerambycids (N = 24). Both assays varied in sensitivity with the qPCR assay amplifying at a concentration as low as 20 fg/μL, whereas the LAMP assay amplified as low as 3.2 pg/μL. Plant chemicals in DNA extracts from leaves did not impact the sensitivity of either assay, reaching similar detection levels. In contrast, vascular tissue reduced the sensitivity of the LAMP assay, amplifying as low as 0.04 ng/μL compared with 0.008 ng/μL in the control. These results demonstrate that both assays are highly specific and sensitive tools that can be used to detect frass and identify larvae as well as monitor the spread of A. anxius. qPCR resulted in more sensitive than LAMP overall. Thus, if results are needed quickly to make fast management decisions or as an initial screening of samples, the LAMP method is optimal. However, if fine detection is critical, then qPCR is preferential.