North American arthropods at risk due to widespread Fraxinus mortality caused by the Alien Emerald ash borer

Abstract

Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) (EAB), an alien invasive wood-boring buprestid beetle, is causing large-scale decline and mortality of the most widely distributed species of ash (Fraxinus spp.) trees endemic to eastern North America. We determined which arthropod species that are associated with ash may become threatened, endangered, and co-extinct with the demise of ash as a dominant tree species. A literature survey revealed that 43 native arthropod species in six taxonomic groups (Arachnida: Acari; Hexapoda: Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, and Lepidoptera) are known to be associated only with ash trees for either feeding or breeding purposes, and thus face high risk of endangerment. Most of these species are gall-formers followed by folivores, subcortical phloem/xylem feeders, sap feeders, and seed predators.Another 30 arthropod species are associated with 1-2 host plants in addition to ash, and herbivory on these hosts may increase as these arthropods shift from declining ash trees. Extirpation of arthropods dependent upon ash may unleash multiple extinctions of affiliated species with which they may be inextricably linked. The demise of North American ash species due to EAB is expected to lead to biotic loss with cascading ecological impacts and altered processes within forested ecosystems.

Arthropod Diversity and Functional Importance in Old-Growth Forests of North America

“…Some, such as the Asiatic oak weevil, Cyrtepistomus castaneus, are relatively inconspicuous, whereas others, such as the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar, and hemlock wooly adelgid, Adelges tsugae, have caused dramatic changes in forest structure and function by largely eliminating dominant tree species [74][75][76]. Some, such as the hemlock woolly adelgid and emerald ash borer, threaten not only the persistence of their host tree species in old-growth forests, but also threaten arthropod species that are restricted in habitat to that tree species [77,78].…”

Optimization of Trap Color for Emerald Ash Borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae)

“…L.; Lamiales: Oleaceae) in Tennessee and North Carolina, estimated to be worth about $16.06 billion dollars annually (Nowak et al 2003;USDAForest Service et al 2014). In Tennessee and North Carolina, loss of ash trees would have an impact on local ecology, including survival of native arthropods that are dependent upon the species (Gandhi & Herms 2010). Another non-native buprestid, Agrilus subrobustus Saunders, was recently discovered in Tennessee and appears to be associated only with non-indigenous and invasive mimosa trees (Albizia julibrissin Durazzini; Fabales: Fabaceae) (Westcott 2007;Hansen et al 2010;Hoebeke & Wheeler 2011;Hansen et al 2012).…”

Reforestation – climate change and water resource implications

“…Owing to its rapid spread, the difficulties in early detection, and the scarcity of natural pathogens, predators and parasites, this invasive beetle poses a threat of nearly complete loss of ash trees from urban and rural landscapes with consequential ecological and economic impacts (Poland and McCullough 2006, Gandhi and Herms 2010, Kovacs et al 2010. Forests in some catchments in southern areas of Ontario contain 80% ash, and forest managers are faced with the question of what should be replanted in a specific sub-catchment to replace infected ash stands.…”