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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Miami, Florida » Subtropical Horticulture Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #336336
Research Project: Methyl Bromide Replacement: Mitigation of the Invasive Pest Threat from the American Tropics and Subtropics

Location: Subtropical Horticulture Research

Title: A combination of a-copaene and quercivorol results in improved detection of Euwallacea nr. fornicatus in Florida

Author
item Kendra, Paul
item OWENS, DAVID - Orise Fellow
item Montgomery, Wayne
item NAVAREZ, TERESA - University Of Florida
item CARRILLO, DANIEL - University Of Florida

Submitted to: Entomological Society of America, Southwestern and Southeastern Branch
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/30/2016
Publication Date: 3/12/2017
Citation: Kendra, P.E., D.R. Owens, W.S. Montgomery, T.I., Navarez and D. Carrillo. 2017. A combination of a-copaene and quercivorol results in improved detection of Euwallacea nr. fornicatus in Florida. Entomological Society of America, Memphis TN. 12-15 March 2017.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The tea shot-hole borer, Euwallacea fornicatus Eichhoff (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), is a serious pest of commercial tea, Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze, in India. In recent years, several pest ambrosia beetles morphologically similar to E. fornicatus have become established in Israel and the USA, and are responsible for vectoring the Fusarium pathogen that causes branch dieback disease. Members of this group are currently referred to as E. near fornicatus due to uncertainty regarding their species status. Euwallacea nr. fornicatus was first detected in Florida avocado groves in 2010, but was not observed to cause serious damage until the spring of 2016. In response to this change in pest status, research was initiated to evaluate efficacy of commercially available lures for detection of E. nr. fornicatus in Florida. Treatments included quercivorol (the current standard for E. nr. fornicatus in California), 50% a-copaene (the best lure for Xyleborus glabratus Eichhoff, another primary pest ambrosia beetle that attacks avocado, and the primary vector of laurel wilt), a combination of these two lures, and an unbaited control. In a series of field tests, the copaene lure was found to be equally attractive as the quercivorol lure, and the combination of copaene and quercivorol resulted in either additive or synergistic attraction. These results indicate that improved detection of E. nr. fornicatus in Florida avocado groves can be achieved by using a 2-component lure consisting of a-copaene and quercivorol.