International trade and movement of people are largely responsible for increasing numbers of non-native insect introductions to new environments. For forest insects, trade in live plants and transport of wood packaging material (WPM) are considered the most important pathways facilitating long-distance invasions. These two pathways as well as trade in firewood, logs, and processed wood are commonly associated with insect infestations, while "hitchhiking" insects can be moved on cargo, in the conveyances used for transport (e.g., containers, ships), or associated with international movement of passengers and mail. Once established in a new country, insects can spread domestically through all of the above pathways. Considerable national and international efforts have been made in recent years to reduce the risk of international movement of plant pests. International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs) No. 15 (WPM), 36 (plants for planting),

No abstract

No abstract

Summary1. International ports are generally considered the most likely points of entry for alien woodboring beetles. A better understanding of the factors affecting their arrival and establishment at ports and their surrounding areas is of utmost importance to improve the efficacy and the cost-effectiveness of early detection programmes. Our work aimed at understanding how port size and the characteristics of the landscape surrounding the port, in terms of forest cover and forest composition, influence the occurrence of alien wood-boring beetles. 2. From May to September 2012, 15 Italian international ports and the surrounding forests were monitored with multi-funnel traps baited with a multi-lure blend (a-pinene, ethanol, ipsdienol, ipsenol, methyl-butenol), three in each port and three in forests located 3-5 km away from the port. We identified both alien and native Scolytinae, Cerambycidae and Buprestidae beetles. 3. Fourteen alien species, among which four are new to Italy, were trapped. Alien species richness was positively related to the amount of imported commodities at the port scale. Broadleaf forests surrounding ports received larger number of alien species than conifer forests. By contrast, total forest cover in the landscape surrounding ports was positively related to the occurrence of native but not alien species. The alien and native species richness was higher in the surrounding forests than in the ports. 4. Synthesis and applications. The simultaneous use of traps in ports with large volume of imported commodities and in their surrounding broadleaf forests can strongly increase the probability of alien wood-boring beetle interceptions. The identification of sites where the arrival and establishment of alien species is more probable, combined with an efficient trapping protocol, can substantially improve the efficacy of early detection. Similar approaches may be used in other countries as early warning systems to implement timely measures to eradicate or contain alien invasions at the European scale.

Exotic ambrosia beetles (Curculionidae: Scolytinae) in the tribe Xyleborini include destructive pests of trees growing in horticultural cropping systems. Three species are especially problematic: Xylosandrus compactus (Eichhoff), Xylosandrus crassiusculus (Motschulsky), and Xylosandrus germanus (Blandford). Due to similarities in their host tree interactions, this mini-review focuses on these three species with the goal of describing their host-selection behaviour, characterising associated semiochemicals, and assessing how these interactions relate to their management. All three of these Xylosandrus spp. attack a broad range of trees and shrubs. Physiologically stressed trees are preferentially attacked by X. crassiusculus and X. germanus, but the influence of stress on host selection by X. compactus is less clear. Ethanol is emitted from weakened trees in response to a variety of stressors, and it represents an important attractant for all three species. Other host-derived compounds tested are inconsistent or inactive. Verbenone inhibits attraction to ethanol, but the effect is inconsistent and does not prevent attacks. Integrating repellents and attractants into a push–pull management strategy has been ineffective for reducing attacks but could be optimised further. Overall, maintaining host vigour and minimising stress-induced ethanol are keys for managing these insects, particularly X. crassiusculus and X. germanus.