The emerald ash borer (EAB),
Agrilus planipennis
(Coleoptera: Buprestidae), a phloem-boring beetle native to Asia, was first discovered in 2002 in the USA and Canada, causing widespread mortality of ...ash trees (
Fraxinus
spp.). A classical biological control program against EAB was implemented with the first regulatory approvals for environmental releases of three hymenopteran parasitoids from China in 2007:
Tetrastichus planipennisi
(Eulophidae),
Spathius agrili
(Braconidae), and
Oobius agrili
(Encyrtidae), and a fourth parasitoid,
Spathius galinae
(Braconidae) from the Russian Far East in 2015. We analyzed literature from the Scopus Database to examine the ecological premises of protection of North American ash trees with biocontrol, with a particular focus on the population dynamics of EAB and its biocontrol agents and implications for protecting and conserving native ash in the aftermath of EAB invasion. To date, the introduced parasitoids have been released in over 360 counties in 31 EAB-infested states, Washington D.C., and three Canadian provinces. Three of the parasitoids,
T. planipennisi, S. galinae
, and
O. agrili,
have successfully established self-sustaining populations in many release areas in the northeastern and Midwestern USA. In several regions where releases were made early, these agents have now spread to nearby forests and resulted in significant suppression of the target pest to low densities. Survival of regenerating ash due to suppression of EAB by parasitoids has also been observed in some sites with early parasitoid releases. The suppression of EAB is likely to expand geographically and thus contribute to North American ash recovery.
Results of numerous trials to evaluate artificial trap designs and lures for detection of Agrilusplanipennis Fairmaire, the emerald ash borer, have yielded inconsistent results, possibly because of ...different A. planipennis population densities in the field sites. In 2010 and 2011, we compared 1) green canopy traps, 2) purple canopy traps, 3) green double-decker traps, and 4) purple double-decker traps in sites representing a range of A. planipennis infestation levels. Traps were baited with cis-3-hexenol in both years, plus an 80:20 mixture of Manuka and Phoebe oil (2010) or Manuka oil alone (2011). Condition of trees bearing canopy traps, A. planipennis infestation level of trees in the vicinity of traps, and number of A. planipennis captured per trap differed among sites in both years. Overall in both years, more females, males, and beetles of both sexes were captured on double-decker traps than canopy traps, and more beetles of both sexes (2010) or females (2011) were captured on purple traps than green traps. In 2010, detection rates were higher for purple (100%) and green double-decker traps (100%) than for purple (82%) or green canopy traps (64%) at sites with very low to low A. planipennis infestation levels. Captures of A. planipennis on canopy traps consistently increased with the infestation level of the canopy trap-bearing trees. Differences among trap types were most pronounced at sites with low A. planipennis densities, where more beetles were captured on purple double-decker traps than on green canopy traps in both years.
Fluon PTFE is a fluoropolymer dispersion applied as a surface conditioner to cross-vane panel traps to enhance trap efficiency for cerambycid beetles. We describe the results of three experiments to ...further optimize cerambycid traps of different designs and to test the effect of Fluon over time. We tested Fluon with Lindgren funnel and panel traps fitted with either wet or dry collection cups on catches of cerambycid beetles and how the effect of Fluon on panel traps persisted. Fluon-treated funnel traps with wet collection cups captured ≈6× more beetles than the untreated funnel traps with wet collection cups. Untreated funnel traps with dry collection cups did not capture any beetles; however, Fluon-treated funnel traps with dry collection cups captured an average of four beetles per trap. Fluon-treated panel traps with wet collection cups captured ≈9× more beetles than untreated panel traps with wet collection cups. Fluon-treated panel traps with dry collection cups captured ≈11× more beetles than untreated panel traps with dry collection cups. The effect of Fluon on capturing cerambycid beetles did not decline after use in one or two field seasons. There was no significant difference in the number of beetles captured in freshly treated panel traps compared with traps that had been used for 1 or 2 yr. Fluon-treated traps captured nine species that were not captured in untreated traps. Conditioning both Lindgren funnel and panel traps with Fluon enhances the efficacy and sensitivity of traps deployed to detect exotic cerambycid species, or for monitoring threatened species at low population densities.
Emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), an invasive phloem-feeding buprestid, has killed hundreds of millions of ash (Fraxinus spp.) trees in the United ...States and two Canadian provinces. We evaluated EAB persistence in post-invasion sites and compared EAB adult captures and larval densities in 24 forested sites across an east–west gradient in southern Michigan representing the Core (postinvasion), Crest (high EAB populations), and Cusp (recently infested areas) of the EAB invasion wave. Condition of green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh) trees were recorded in fixed radius plots and linear transects in each site. Ash mortality was highest in Core sites in the southeast, moderate in Crest sites in central southern Michigan, and low in Cusp sites in the southwest. Traps and trap trees in Crest sites accounted for 75 and 60% of all EAB beetles captured in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Populations of EAB were present in all Core sites and traps in these sites captured 13% of all beetles each year. Beetle captures and larval densities at Cusp sites roughly doubled between 2010 and 2011, reflecting the increasing EAB populations. Sticky bands on girdled trees captured the highest density of EAB beetles per m2 of area, while baited double-decker traps had the highest detection rates and captured the most beetles. Larval densities were higher on girdled ash than on similar ungirdled trees and small planted trees. Woodpecker predation and a native larval parasitoid were present in all three invasion regions but had minor effects on ash survival and EAB densities.
Spathius galinae is a larval parasitoid native to the Russian Far East that was approved for release in the United States in 2015 for biological control of the emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus ...planipennis, an invasive beetle from Asia responsible for widespread mortality of ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) in North America. From 2015 to 2017, 1,340–1,445 females of S. galinae along with males were released into each release plot, paired with a nonrelease control plot (1–12.5 km apart), at 6 postinvasion forested sites containing abundant pole-sized ash trees in Michigan. By 2018, S. galinae had spread to all but one control plot. Based on the first year that S. galinae was found in trees in each control plot and the distances of those trees to the parasitoid release point within each site, we estimated that S. galinae spread at 3.7 (±1.9) km per year after its initial releases in 2015. The proportion of sampled trees with S. galinae broods, brood densities within sampled trees, and parasitism of EAB larvae increased sharply in both control and release plots after the last field releases in 2017, with the highest parasitism rates (42.8–60.3%) in 2020. Life table analysis showed that S. galinae alone reduced EAB's net population growth rate by 35–55% across sites from 2018 to 2020. These results demonstrate that S. galinae has established an increasing population in Michigan and now plays a significant role in reducing EAB populations in the area.
This study provides the most detailed description of the immature stages of Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire to date and illustrates suites of larval characters useful in distinguishing among Agrilus ...Curtis species and instars. Immature stages of eight species of Agrilus were examined and imaged using light and scanning electron microscopy. For A. planipennis all preimaginal stages (egg, instars I-IV, prepupa and pupa) were described. A combination of 14 character states were identified that serve to identify larvae of A. planipennis . Our results support the segregation of Agrilus larvae into two informal assemblages based on characters of the mouthparts, prothorax, and abdomen: the A. viridis and A. ater assemblages, with A. planipennis being more similar to the former. Additional evidence is provided in favor of excluding A. planipennis from the subgenus Uragrilus .
The emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), is an invasive woodboring pest of ash trees (Fraxinus sp.) in North America. Among the Asiatic parasitoids being ...released for the management of EAB in North America, Oobius agrili Zhang and Huang (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) is the only EAB egg parasitoid. To date, more than 2.5 million O. agrili have been released in North America; however, few studies have examined its success as a biological control agent of EAB. We conducted studies to assess O. agrili establishment, persistence, spread, and EAB egg parasitism rates in Michigan at the earliest release sites (2007–2010), as well as at more recent release sites (2015–2016) in 3 Northeastern United States (Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York). In both regions, we documented successful O. agrili establishment at all but one release site. In Michigan, O. agrili has persisted at release sites for over a decade and spread to all control sites located 0.6–3.8 km from release sites. Overall, EAB egg parasitism ranged from 1.5% to 51.2% (mean of 21.4%) during 2016–2020 in Michigan and from 2.6% to 29.2% (mean of 16.1%) during 2018–2020 in the Northeastern states. Future research efforts should focus on factors affecting the spatiotemporal variation in EAB egg parasitism rates by O. agrili, as well as its potential range in North America.
•Two management tools for the area-wide management of A. planipennis were studied.•Results derived from a 5year project encompassing >390km2 (SLAM pilot project).•Low densities of systemic ...insecticides reduced beetle populations and tree injury.•Girdled trees offer a strong, but complex potential as a management tactic.•Insecticide-treated and girdled trees are functional tools for area-wide management.
Emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, has become the most destructive forest insect to invade North America. Unfortunately, tactics to manage A. planipennis are limited and difficult to evaluate, primarily because of the difficulty of detecting and delineating new infestations. Here we use data from a unique resource, the SL.ow A.sh M.ortality (SLAM) pilot project, to assess whether treating a small proportion of trees with a highly effective systemic insecticide or girdling ash (Fraxinus spp.) trees to serve as A. planipennis population sinks can result in discernable effects on A. planipennis population growth or ash mortality. Components of the SLAM pilot project included an extensive inventory of ash abundance across a heterogenous area encompassing >390km2, treatment of 587 ash trees with a highly effective systemic insecticide, and girdling 2658 ash trees from 2009 to 2012. Fixed radius plots were established to monitor the condition of >1000 untreated ash trees throughout the area from 2010 to 2012. While only a very small proportion of ash trees in the project area were either treated with insecticide or girdled, both tactics led to detectable reductions of A. planipennis densities and protected ash trees in areas surrounding the treatments. The number of trees treated with the systemic insecticide reduced larval abundance in subsequent years. In contrast, the area of phloem in the insecticide-treated trees had no discernable effect on A. planipennis population growth, indicating that the number of treated trees was more important than the size of treated trees. Significant interactions among girdled trees, larval density, and the local abundance of ash phloem indicate girdling trees has a positive, but complex potential as a management tactic.
Computer-monitored flight mills were used to record the flight performance of the emerald ash borer,
Agrilus planipennis
Fairmaire. Flight performance of fed and unfed, and mated and unmated beetles ...of both sexes were recorded and compared. Mated females flew further per day and longer than unmated females or males. Mated females that were allowed to feed between flight periods flew an average of 1.3 km/day for four days; 10% flew more than 7 km/day. Measurements of free-flight speed using a mirror and a high-speed camera were used to calibrate the flight mill results, permitting absolute estimates of flight performance to be made. Free-flight speeds were approximately three times the speeds recorded by the flight mills. The median corrected distance flown by mated females was >3 km with 20% flying >10 km and 1% flying >20 km. The flight performance of mated females suggests a considerable capacity for range expansion by this invasive species. The implications for quarantine and control are discussed.
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