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Title: Monitoring Ambrosia Beetles with Ethanol-Injected Sentinel Trees and Ethanol-Baited Bottle Traps in Ornamental Nurseries

Author
item Reding, Michael - Mike
item Ranger, Christopher
item SCHULTZ, PETER - Virginia Polytechnic Institution & State University
item OLIVER, JASON - Tennessee State University

Submitted to: Entomological Society of America Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/23/2009
Publication Date: 12/13/2009
Citation: Reding, M.E., Ranger, C.M., Schultz, P., Oliver, J. 2009. Monitoring Ambrosia Beetles with Ethanol-Injected Sentinel Trees and Ethanol-Baited Bottle Traps in Ornamental Nurseries. Entomological Society of America Proceedings, December 13-16, 2009, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The ambrosia beetle Xylosandrus germanus is a serious pest in ornamental tree nurseries. The current strategy for managing X. germanus in nurseries is to spray the trunks of trees with insecticides before damage occurs. However, timing sprays for this pest is difficult because monitoring techniques are not well developed; and knowledge of X. germanus’ ecology and biology in the nursery ecosystem is lacking. Our objective is to develop monitoring techniques that growers can use as an early warning system to time their sprays. To that end, we tested the attractant ethanol at various doses in bottle traps and injected into trees (sentinel trees) to monitor seasonal flight and attack activity, respectively. Ethanol-baited traps and sentinel trees were deployed together along the wooded border of nurseries. There was a dose response by X. germanus where higher captures occurred in traps baited with two ethanol baits compared to one or no baits. Traps with one bait caught more beetles than those with no bait. Ethanol-injected trees were attacked in commercial nurseries and timing of attacks coincided with captures in traps. No attacks occurred on non-injected trees. The results indicate that ethanol-baited bottle traps or ethanol-injected sentinel trees can be effective tools for monitoring X. germanus activity in nurseries.