Population Trends of the Redbay Ambrosia Beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae): Does Utilization of Small Diameter Redbay Trees Allow Populations to Persist?

Maner, M. Lake; Hanula, James L.; Horn, Scott

doi:10.1653/024.097.0127

Cited by 16 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…The beetle populations are relatively cold tolerant despite their tropical origin (28) and are frequently spread through anthropogenic wood transport. The beetles persist in the landscape long after the main epidemic has killed all typical hosts (18,74). Whether they persist on suboptimal hosts or the host spectrum is broader than Lauraceae is unknown.…”

Section: Mode 1: Association With a Virulent Tree Pathogenmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Ambrosia Symbiosis: From Evolutionary Ecology to Practical Management

Hulcr

Stelinski

2017

Annu. Rev. Entomol.

267

224

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The ambrosia beetle-fungus farming symbiosis is more heterogeneous than previously thought. There is not one but many ambrosia symbioses. Beetle-fungus specificity is clade dependent and ranges from strict to promiscuous. Each new origin has evolved a new mycangium. The most common relationship with host trees is colonization of freshly dead tissues, but there are also parasites of living trees, vectors of pathogenic fungi, and beetles living in rotten trees with a wood-decay symbiont. Most of these strategies are driven by fungal metabolism whereas beetle ecology is evolutionarily more flexible. The ambrosia lifestyle facilitated a radiation of social strategies, from fungus thieves to eusocial species to communities assembled by attraction to fungal scent. Although over 95% of the symbiotic pairs are economically harmless, there are also three types of pest damage: tree pathogen inoculation, mass accumulation on susceptible hosts, and structural damage. Beetles able to colonize live tree tissues are most likely to become invasive pests.

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Section: Mode 1: Association With a Virulent Tree Pathogenmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Ambrosia Symbiosis: From Evolutionary Ecology to Practical Management

Hulcr

Stelinski

2017

Annu. Rev. Entomol.

267

224

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“…Evans et al (2013) reported large declines in redbay densities across all diameter classes on the island from 2004-2009, and by 2014, the species, although persisting in the midstory at small diameters, was no longer a component in the canopy among our three sites. Recent studies indicated that the ambrosia beetle can persist in redbay stands that have trees with 2-3cm root collar diameters (Maner et al, 2014), so in future years, it will be interesting to track growth and survival of the remaining stems as they move into larger diameter classes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Redbay Survival Eleven Years after Infection with an Exotic Disease on St. Catherines Island, Georgia, USA

Smith¹,

Landreaux²,

Steinmann³

et al. 2015

ENRR

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Introduced to the United States in 2002, laurel wilt (Raffaelea lauricola) is a fungus that causes life threatening defensive responses in the vascular system of trees within the Lauraceae family, and it is introduced to the tree by the Asian ambrosia beetle (Xyleborus glabratus). Redbay (Persea borbonia) is the preferred host species within the US coastal plains and maritime forests, and it has experienced rapid mortality throughout its range in the southeastern United States since the introduction of the ambrosia beetle and associated fungus. In this study, we inventoried all dead and live redbay trees from replicated transects inside a maritime forest, a successional old-field forest (both located on the island's Pleistocene core), and a Holocene hammock to examine the role of soils, prior land use and landscape position on redbay survival eleven years after the introduction of the exotic beetle and fungus on the island. Results indicated that the maritime forest had a significantly higher number of redbay trees prior to infection compared to the hammock or old-field sites. Eleven years post-infection, all three sites had similar densities of redbay trees and the surviving trees had similar diameter distributions among the three sites. Soils under the maritime forest had significantly higher phosphorous (P) and pH concentrations, and the Holocene hammock had a higher water table compared to the sites on the Pleistocene core. Almost all living trees at each site had signs of invertebrate herbivory and twig borer damage. Prior land use history and soils affected redbay densities before laurel wilt infection, but eleven years post-infection, all three site types had similar redbay densities, diameters, basal areas, and levels of herbivory and surviving trees did not demonstrate signs of photosynthetic stress.

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“…Populations of the redbay ambrosia beetle increase very rapidly in coastal forests of the southeastern US, where redbays are common and of sufficient size to serve as brood ( Figure 4; [38]). Likewise, populations decrease rapidly within a couple of years after tree death, because as trees are colonized by secondary fungi and begin to decay, they become increasingly unusable by the beetle.…”

Section: Xyleborus Glabratus and Its Fungal Associatesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Laurel Wilt: Current and Potential Impacts and Possibilities for Prevention and Management

Olatinwo

Fraedrich

Mayfield

2021

Forests

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In recent years, outbreaks of nonnative invasive insects and pathogens have caused significant levels of tree mortality and disturbance in various forest ecosystems throughout the United States. Laurel wilt, caused by the pathogen Raffaelea lauricola (T.C. Harr., Fraedrich and Aghayeva) and the primary vector, the redbay ambrosia beetle (Xyleborus glabratus Eichhoff), is a nonnative pest-disease complex first reported in the southeastern United States in 2002. Since then, it has spread across eleven southeastern states to date, killing hundreds of millions of trees in the plant family Lauraceae. Here, we examine the impacts of laurel wilt on selected vulnerable Lauraceae in the United States and discuss management methods for limiting geographic expansion and reducing impact. Although about 13 species belonging to the Lauraceae are indigenous to the United States, the highly susceptible members of the family to laurel wilt are the large tree species including redbay (Persea borbonia (L.) Spreng) and sassafras (Sassafras albidum (Nutt.) Nees), with a significant economic impact on the commercial production of avocado (Persea americana Mill.), an important species native to Central America grown in the United States. Preventing new introductions and mitigating the impact of previously introduced nonnative species are critically important to decelerate losses of forest habitat, genetic diversity, and overall ecosystem value.

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Population Trends of the Redbay Ambrosia Beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae): Does Utilization of Small Diameter Redbay Trees Allow Populations to Persist?

Abstract: BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.

Cited by 16 publications

References 20 publications

The Ambrosia Symbiosis: From Evolutionary Ecology to Practical Management

The Ambrosia Symbiosis: From Evolutionary Ecology to Practical Management

Redbay Survival Eleven Years after Infection with an Exotic Disease on St. Catherines Island, Georgia, USA

Laurel Wilt: Current and Potential Impacts and Possibilities for Prevention and Management

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