Oviposition Preference and Larval Performance of Anoplophora Glabripennis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in Four Eastern North American Hardwood Tree Species

• Published in: Environmental entomology 2003-10, Vol.32 (5), p.1028-1034
• Main Authors: Morewood, W D, Neiner, PR, McNeil, J R, Sellmer, J C, Hoover, K
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anoplophora glabripennis; Cerambycidae
• ISSN: 0046-225X
• DOI: 10.1043/0046-225X(2003)032(1028:OPALPO)2.0.CO;2

Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky) is an invasive wood-boring cerambycid beetle that kills hardwood trees. The host range of this species is unusually broad but is not well defined in the available literature and may include tree species that have not been reported as hosts because they have not previously been exposed to the beetle. We evaluated oviposition by A. glabripennis offered a choice of four common eastern North American forest and landscape hardwood tree species, and performance of the resulting larvae, under greenhouse conditions. Significantly greater numbers of oviposition sites were found on sugar maple, Acer saccharum Marshall, than on red maple, Acer rubrum L., green ash, Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marshall, or red oak, Quercus rubra L., with no significant differences among the other three tree species. Similarly, significantly greater numbers of living larvae were found in sugar maple than in the other tree species; however, more were found in red oak and fewer in green ash than expected, considering relative numbers of oviposition sites. After 90 d, mean mass of living larvae did not differ significantly among tree species. These results suggest that all four tree species may be suitable hosts for A. glabripennis . Most importantly, although larval establishment was poor in green ash and larval growth may have been retarded in red oak, larvae did survive and grow in both species. We recommend that these tree species be considered potential hosts when surveys are conducted to detect infested trees or when replanting infested areas.