Efforts to Improve the Detection and MMaannaaggeemmeenntt ooff AAmmbbrroossiiaa BBeeeettlleess iinn OOrrnnaammeennttaall Nurseries Chris Ranger Michael Reding Jason Oliver Peter Schultz UUSSDDAA-AARRSS UUSSDDAA-AARRSS TTennessee SSttatte UUniiv. VViirgiiniia TTechh. Wooster, OH Wooster, OH McMinnville, TN Virginia Beach, VA JJoohhnn VVaannddeennbbeerrgg LLoouueellaa CCaassttrriilllloo HHeeppiinngg ZZhhuu CChhaarrlleess KKrraauussee USDA-ARS Cornell Univ. USDA-ARS USDA-ARS Ithaca, NY Ithaca, NY Wooster, OH Wooster, OH An Emerging Pest Management Challenge Facing the Industry • Ambrosia beetles Order: Coleoptera Family: Curculionidae Subfamily: Scolytinae Tribe: Xyleborini GGenus: XXyllosanddrus • Extensive economic loss, but not well ddeffiinedd • Wood-boring behavior, thus difficult to detect and control Black Stem Borer Xylosandrus germanus • Introduced from Japan or east Asia -First reported in NY (1932) •• NNoorrtthheeaasstteerrnn, SSoouutthheeaasstteerrnn, Midwestern, Southern, and ♀ Northwestern US Granulate Ambrosia Beetle XXyllosanddrus crassiiuscullus • Introduced from southern Asia -First reported in SC (1974) • Northeastern, Southeastern, ♀ Midwestern, Southern, and Northwestern US, plus Hawaii 2.0mm Hosts for X. germanus and X. crassiusculus • >200 hosts worldwide; deciduous trees preferred -- AAppppllee, CChheerrrryy, CChheessttnnuutt, DDooggwwoooodd, HHyyddrraannggeeaa, GGoollddeenn RRaaiinnttrreeee, Lilac, Magnolia, Maple, Peach, Pear, Redbud, Styrax, Weeping Mulberry, Yellowwood • Typically pests of stressed or dying trees • , But examples of attacks on “apparently healthy” trees too - “Apparently healthy” to whom? Cryptic Tunneling Behavior of Ambrosia Beetles ~2 mm diam. ~~11 mmmm ddiiaamm. X. ggermanus XX.. ccrraassssiiuussccuulluuss Frass Toothpicks = Symptom of an Infestation Cornus Magnolia virginiana Sap Production = Symptom of an Infestation Cornus Styrax Styrax Gallery Formation X. germanus gallery X. germanus in Magnolia virginiana larvae and pupae Ambrosia Beetle Fungal Symbionts USDA-ARS, Wooster, OH X. germanus USDA-ARS, Wooster, OH • Symbiotic fungi maintained iin pouchh ((ii.e., mycangiia)) • Larvae and adults feed on fungi, nott hhostt ttree USDA-ARS, Wooster, OH • Ambrosiella species associated with X. germanus Terminal dieback, basal sprouts = symptoms of an infestation Magnolia virginiana