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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Newark, Delaware » Beneficial Insects Introduction Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #349931
Research Project: Biological Control of Invasive Wood-Boring Insect Pests such as Emerald Ash Borer and Asian Longhorned Beetle

Location: Beneficial Insects Introduction Research Unit

Title: Mortality factors of Anoplophora glabripennis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) infesting Salix and Populus in central, northwest, and northeast China

Author
item Golec, Julian
item FEI, LI - Chinese Academy Of Forestry
item CAO, LIANGMING - Chinese Academy Of Forestry
item WANG, XIAOYI - Chinese Academy Of Forestry
item Duan, Jian

Submitted to: Biological Control
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/22/2018
Publication Date: 5/23/2018
Citation: Golec, J.R., Fei, L., Cao, L., Wang, X., Duan, J.J. 2018. Mortality factors of Anoplophora glabripennis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) infesting Salix and Populus in central, northwest, and northeast China. Biological Control. 126: 198-208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2018.05.015.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2018.05.015

Interpretive Summary: The Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) is an invasive wood-boring insect pest native to China. Since it was first detected in North America in the 1990s, ALB has been targeted by quarantines and eradication programs in the United States and Canada because of its potential to damage many hard wood trees. In order to identify potential natural enemies of ALB for biological control, scientists from the University of Delaware, Chinese Academy of Forestry, and USDA ARS investigated natural mortality factors affecting ALB immature stages (eggs, larvae and pupae) in Chinese forests between 2015 and 2017. Our surveys discovered low mortality (1- 6%) of ALB larvae and pupae caused by two parasitic insects, and low to moderate levels (8 - 59%) of egg and larval mortality caused by wood peckers and other unknown predators. Further studies are needed to identify the unknown predators that may have potential for biological control of ALB in the U.S.

Technical Abstract: Mortality factors affecting eggs, immatures, and adults of the Asian longhorned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis, infesting Populus and Salix were investigated in four Chinese provinces between 2015 and 2017. Larval and pupal density varied by location and tree species; however, overall density was highest in Jilin province. When larval and pupal density and tree species were compared, nearly four times the number of immatures were found infesting Populus than Salix. Although there were variations in the mortality factors affecting different A. glabripennis stages between location and year, undetermined factors (likely host tree resistance and microbial pathogens) on average caused 59.3% of egg mortality across all survey sites and years. Furthermore, eggs were the most susceptible life stage to mortality factors compared to other life stages. Conversely, larvae and pupae were least susceptible to mortality factors, where on average 8.3%, 15.6%, and 9.1% had died from undetermined factors, were removed by woodpeckers, or had been taken by unknown predators, respectively across all survey sites and years. Two parasitoids, Dastarcus helophoroides and Sclerodermus guani, were recovered from larvae and pupae in Gansu and Shaanxi provinces and Beijing City, and together accounted for around 6.0% mortality of these stages in these sites. Across all survey sites and years, most adult A. glabripennis had emerged from their host trees; of the remaining adults (pharate) that did not emerge, 10.1% and 8.1% on average died from undetermined factors or were parasitized by D. helophoroides, respectively, and >1% had been taken by unknown predators or were removed by woodpeckers.