Does the pine weevil (<i>Hylobius abietis</i>) prefer conifer seedlings over other main food sources?

Abstract

Does the pine weevil (Hylobius abietis) prefer conifer seedlings over other main food sources?Fedderwitz F., Björklund N., Ninkovic V., Nordlander G. (2018). Does the pine weevil (Hylobius abietis) prefer conifer seedlings over other main food sources? Silva Fennica vol. 52 no. 3 article id 9946. 9 p. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.9946 Highlights• Adult pine weevils feed on seedlings and mature conifers, but cause economic damage only on seedlings.• Their feeding preferences for branches and roots over seedlings were tested in a laboratory experiment.• The only clear preference was for Norway spruce roots.• Results support new approaches of seedling protection attempting to redirect pine weevils from planted seedlings to other food sources. AbstractAdult pine weevils (Hylobius abietis (L.)) feed on the tender bark of branches and roots of mature conifer trees and on the stem bark of conifer seedlings. Their feeding on mature trees does not cause any economic damage, but their feeding on planted seedlings is so devastating that the pine weevil is considered one of the most important forest pest insects in Europe. We asked whether the pine weevil prefers seedlings over other regularly utilized food sources. This question is of particular interest because new approaches to seedling protection are based on decreasing any preference for seedlings by using less palatable plants or by enhancing their defence (by genetic selection or by methyl jasmonate treatment). In a laboratory choice experiment we tested pine weevil feeding preferences for seedlings compared with branches and roots from mature trees (separately for Norway spruce and Scots pine). Pine weevils preferred roots, but not branches, of Norway spruce over seedlings of the same species. With Scots pine there were no clear preferences, but the weevils showed a tendency to prefer roots over seedlings. These results provide support for seedling protection approaches that attempt to redirect pine feeding from planted seedlings to other food sources.

Ecology, management and damage by the large pine weevil (Hylobius abietis) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in coniferous forests within Europe

“…In spring, adults consume bark of coniferous and other tree species, and they mature sexually before mating and egg laying. According to Fedderwitz et al (2018), H. abietis spends 6% of its lifetime for feeding, while they feeds 4 to 5 times a day and consume approximately 13 mm 2 of bark at one feeding. Adults stay at one place after egg laying until the end of summer.…”

Control and Management of the Pine Weevil Hylobius abietis L.

“…Feeding depends on the species of conifer, the depth of bark and temperature (Day et al, 2004). Adults feed on the stem and roots of seedlings, and can often be found in the crowns of adult trees (Fedderwitz et al, 2018).…”

Comprehensive comparison of treatments for controlling the large pine weevil (Hylobius abietis) in Central Europe

“…Feeding of parental beetles to get reproductively mature when arriving to the clear-cut and losing their flight muscles. Feeding on the mature trees does not cause any economic damage, but beetle’s feeding on planted seedlings causes severe economic damage 9 , because feeding may cause girdling and often the death of coniferous seedlings 7 , 10 , 11 . A single weevil can damage several seedlings 12 .…”