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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Miami, Florida » Subtropical Horticulture Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #348920
Research Project: Methyl Bromide Replacement: Mitigation of the Invasive Pest Threat from the American Tropics and Subtropics

Location: Subtropical Horticulture Research

Title: Development of host-based lures for redbay ambrosia beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae)

Author
item Kendra, Paul
item Montgomery, Paul
item Niogret, Jerome
item Tabanca, Nurhayat
item OWENS, DAVID - Orise Fellow
item Epsky, Nancy

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/21/2017
Publication Date: 3/6/2018
Citation: Kendra, P.E., Montgomery, P.M., Niogret, J., Tabanca, N., Owens, D.R., Epsky, N.D. 2018. Development of host-based lures for redbay ambrosia beetle Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae). 92nd Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Branch of the Entomological Society of America. Orlando, FL. 4-7 March 2018.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The redbay ambrosia beetle, Xyleborus glabratus, a species endemic to Southeast Asia, was first detected in the USA in 2002 near Savannah, GA. Since then, it has become a serious invasive pest, now established in nine southeastern states. Females vector Raffaelea lauricola, the fungus that causes laurel wilt, a lethal vascular disease of trees in the family Lauraceae. Laurel wilt has caused extensive mortality in native Persea species, including redbay (P. borbonia), swampbay (P. palustris), and silkbay (P. humilis). Avocado (P. americana) is now impacted in Florida, and with continued spread, laurel wilt has potential to affect avocado and native Lauraceae in California, Mexico, and throughout the American tropics. Effective lures for early detection of X. glabratus are critical to slow the spread of laurel wilt. No pheromones are known for this species; primary attractants are volatile terpenoids emitted from host Lauraceae. Here we provide a concise summary of the chemical ecology of X. glabratus, highlighting research to identify kairomones used by females for host location. We discuss development of essential oil lures for pest detection, including the initial manuka and phoebe oil lures, the current cubeb oil lure, and a newly-developed distilled oil lure enriched in (-)-a-copaene.