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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Wooster, Ohio » Application Technology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #377179
Research Project: Development of Technologies and Strategies for Sustainable Crop Production in Containerized and Protected Horticulture Systems

Location: Application Technology Research

Title: Scolytinae in nursery and fruit crops of western Kentucky and seasonal population patterns of four invasive ambrosia beetles

Author
item VILORIA, ZENAIDA - University Of Kentucky
item VILLANUEVA, RAUL - University Of Kentucky
item BESSIN, RICK - University Of Kentucky
item O'NEIL, PAUL - Tennessee State University
item Ranger, Christopher
item DUNWELL, WIN - University Of Kentucky

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/17/2020
Publication Date: 7/1/2021
Citation: Viloria, Z., Villanueva, R., Bessin, R., O'Neil, P., Ranger, C.M., Dunwell, W. 2021. Scolytinae in nursery and fruit crops of western Kentucky and seasonal population patterns of four invasive ambrosia beetles. Journal of Economic Entomology. 56(3):374-386. https://doi.org/10.18474/JES20-50.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18474/JES20-50

Interpretive Summary: Ambrosia beetles are destructive pests of fruit trees growing in orchards. The objectives of this study were to identify ambrosia beetle species found in nursery crop farms and apple orchards in western Kentucky and monitor population abundances and phenologies of the more common invasive ambrosia beetles. Bottle traps baited with ultra-high or standard release ethanol were deployed in late February or March and removed in either fall (2016 and 2017) or August (2018). Twenty native species of Scolytinae were identified, and two species are reported for the first time for Kentucky. Cnestus mutilatus (Blandford), Xylosandrus crassiusculus (Motschulsky), Xylosandrus germanus (Blandford), and Xyleborinus saxesenii (Ratzeburg) were the most common and abundant species. The highest counts of these non-native species were recorded from April to May. These results will help to determine optimal timing for preventive insecticide applications.

Technical Abstract: Ambrosia beetles (Curculionidae: Scolytinae) inoculate and farm species specific symbiotic fungi into the sapwood of their hosts. Some fungi are innocuous, but others are pathogenic and can kill plants in a short time. The objectives of this study were to identify ambrosia beetle species found in nursery crop farms and apple orchards in western Kentucky and monitor population abundances and phenologies of the more common invasive ambrosia beetles. Baker traps baited with ultra-high or standard release ethanol were deployed in late February or March and removed in either fall (2016 and 2017) or August (2018). Twenty native species of Scolytinae were identified; Phloeotribus dentrifrons (Blackman) and Thysanoes fimbricornis LeConte are reported for the first time for Kentucky. Among nine non-native species captured, Cnestus mutilatus (Blandford), Xylosandrus crassiusculus (Motschulsky), Xylosandrus germanus (Blandford), and Xyleborinus saxesenii (Ratzeburg) were the most common and abundant species. The highest counts of these non-native species were recorded from April to May.