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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Miami, Florida » Subtropical Horticulture Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #289613
Title: Is California bay laurel a suitable host for the non-native redbay ambrosia beetle, vector of laurel wilt disease?

Author
item MAYFIELD, ALBERT - Us Forest Service (FS)
item MACKENZIE, MARTIN - Us Forest Service (FS)
item CANNON, PHILIP - Us Forest Service (FS)
item OAK, STEVEN - Us Forest Service (FS)
item HORN, SCOTT - Us Forest Service (FS)
item HWANG, JAESOON - Clemson University
item Kendra, Paul

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/2/2012
Publication Date: 10/10/2012
Citation: Mayfield, A.E., Mackenzie, M., Cannon, P.G., Oak, S.W., Horn, S., Hwang, J., Kendra, P.E. 2013. Is California bay laurel a suitable host for the non-native redbay ambrosia beetle, vector of laurel wilt disease?. Meeting Abstract. 60th Western International Forest Disease Work Conference. Lake Tahoe, CA. Oct 2012..

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Laurel wilt is a deadly vascular disease of trees in the Lauraceae that kills healthy redbay (Persea borbonia), sassafras (Sassafras albidum), and other related hosts. The fungal pathogen (Raffaelea lauricola) and it vector, the redbay ambrosia beetle (Xyleborus glabratus) are native to Asia and have dispersed widely in the southeastern Atlantic Coastal Plain since 2002. Concern exists that X. glabratus could be transported to the western U.S. via infested wood and cause widespread damage to California bay laurel (Umbellularia californica (Hook. & Arn.) Nutt.), a valuable Lauraceous tree common in California, Oregon and Washington. California bay laurel is known to be susceptible to laurel wilt when artificially inoculated with R. lauricola, but its attractiveness and host status for X. glabratus has not been examined previously. This study evaluated in-flight attraction, attack density, and emergence of X. glabratus and another invasive ambrosia beetle (Xylosandrus crassiusculus (Motschulsky)) on cut bolts of California bay laurel and related tree species in an infested stand in South Carolina. The results suggest that populations of California bay laurel would be negatively affected by laurel wilt if the beetle becomes introduced and established in the tree’s native range in the western U.S.