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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Miami, Florida » Subtropical Horticulture Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #292155
Title: American Lauraceae: Relative attraction and susceptibility to attack by redbay ambrosia beetle (Xyleborus glabratus)

Author
item Kendra, Paul
item Montgomery, Wayne
item Niogret, Jerome
item PRUETT, GRECHEN - Archbold Biological Station
item PLOETZ, RANDY - University Of Florida
item MAYFIELD, ALBERT - Us Forest Service (FS)
item Epsky, Nancy
item Ayala Silva, Tomas

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/26/2013
Publication Date: 4/13/2013
Citation: Kendra, P.E., Montgomery, W.S., Niogret, J., Pruett, G., Ploetz, R., Mayfield, A.E., Epsky, N.D., Ayala Silva, T. 2013. American Lauraceae: Relative attraction and susceptibility to attack by redbay ambrosia beetle (Xyleborus glabratus). Annual Meeting of Plant Biologists of South Florida, Miami, FL 13 April 2013.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The redbay ambrosia beetle, Xyleborus glabratus Eichhoff (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), is an exotic wood-boring insect that vectors Raffaelea lauricola, the fungal pathogen responsible for laurel wilt. Laurel wilt is a newly-described vascular disease of U.S. trees in the family Lauraceae, including avocado (Persea americana). As part of research to identify host-based attractants for X. glabratus, comparative studies were initiated to determine the beetle’s preferences among American lauraceous hosts. This presentation summarizes the results of field tests and laboratory bioassays that assess relative attraction and boring behaviors of female X. glabratus to freshly-cut wood bolts of avocado, redbay (Persea borbonia), swampbay (P. palustris), silkbay (P. humilis), lancewood (Ocotea coriacea), camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora), sassafras (S. albidum), northern spicebush (Lindera benzoin), and California bay laurel (Umbellularia californica). Studies are underway to correlate the sesquiterpene content of wood from Lauraceae with the captures of X. glabratus in field tests, to identify the specific semiochemicals used by X. glabratus for host location/recognition.