Location: Beneficial Insects Introduction Research Unit
Project Number: 8010-22000-031-069-I
Project Type: Interagency Reimbursable Agreement
Start Date: Jul 1, 2023
End Date: Sep 30, 2025
Objective:
The primary purpose of this agreement is to discover promising parasitoids of the red-necked longhorn beetle (RLB) Aromia bungii (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in its native range in China and South Korea. The objective of this agreement is to provide a proactive approach to control this pest in the eventuality of its invasion in North America.
Approach:
In China, RLB is likely in origin from Northern China (Mongolian /Hebei provinces), therefore surveys will be conducted in three regions in Mongolia, Hebei and Beijing, China. In South Korea, the beetles are more abundant in the northern region. Three locations in Chuncheon and Incheon-Seoul will be selected for the surveys. Various methods, including field collection of host eggs and larvae, infested trees and caging infested branch or trunk in the field as well as use of sentinel trap will be used. In each location, we will locate infested Prunus orchards and/or infested trees in urban landscapes and survey RLB parasitoid using these different methods (depending on the sites, host plants and RLB abundance. ARS will use an egg parasitoid-specific sentinel log trap that allows female RLB to oviposit on the sentinel logs in the field by providing sexually matured male and female adults in the design. All collected RLB parasitoids (cocoons or adults) will be reared at cooperators’ labs in Beijing and Seoul for preliminary screening of the parasitoids for their efficiency against RLB.
