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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Miami, Florida » Subtropical Horticulture Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #360507
Research Project: Methyl Bromide Replacement: Mitigation of the Invasive Pest Threat from the American Tropics and Subtropics

Location: Subtropical Horticulture Research

Title: Essential oils as lures for invasive ambrosia beetles

Author
item Kendra, Paul
item Tabanca, Nurhayat
item Montgomery, Wayne
item NIOGRET, JEROME - Former ARS Employee
item OWENS, DAVID - Orise Fellow
item CARILLO, DANIEL - University Of Florida

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/30/2019
Publication Date: 8/11/2020
Citation: Kendra, P. E., N. Tabanca, W. S. Montgomery, J. Niogret, D. Owens, and D. Carrillo. 2020. Chapter 18. Essential oils as lures for invasive ambrosia beetles. Pp. 495-513 In: K. H. C. Baser and G. Buchbauer (eds.), Handbook of Essential Oils: Science, Technology, and Applications, 3rd edition. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. (ISBN 9780815370963)

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Invasive ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae: Xyleborini) have recently become established in several regions of the USA where they vector fungal pathogens responsible for vascular wilt diseases in avocado (Persea americana), woody ornamentals, and native forest trees. These include the redbay ambrosia beetle (Xyleborus glabratus) that vectors the fungus responsible for laurel wilt, and a group of cryptic species morphologically similar to tea shot-hole borer (Euwallacea fornicatus) that vectors the pathogen of Fusarium dieback. Ecologically, these wood-boring beetles function as primary colonizers, capable of attacking healthy unstressed trees. Thus, they are attracted to the volatile terpenoids emitted from host wood (i.e., kairomones used by females for host location). Since essential oils consist of concentrated plant terpenoids, they have provided an ideal substrate for development of lures for these pests. This chapter (1) summarizes the succession of essential oil lures used for redbay ambrosia beetle over the last decade, (2) outlines development of the current lure which is highly enriched in (-)-a-copaene, (3) presents chemical analysis of the a-copaene lure, and (4) describes its recent applications for detection of Euwallacea pests in Florida avocado groves.