Evaluation of double-decker traps for emerald ash borer (Coleoptera:Buprestidae)

Abstract

Improved detection tools are needed for the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), an invasive forest insect from Asia that has killed millions of ash (Fraxinus spp.) trees in North America since its discovery in Michigan in 2002.We evaluated attraction of adult A. planipennis to artificial traps incorporating visual (e.g., height, color, silhouette) and olfactory cues (e.g., host volatiles) at field sites in Michigan. We developed a double-decker trap consisting of a 3-m-tall polyvinyl pipe with two purple prisms attached near the top. In 2006, we compared A. planipennis attraction to double-decker traps baited with various combinations of manuka oil (containing sesquiterpenes present in ash bark), a blend of four ash leaf volatiles (leaf blend), and a rough texture to simulate bark. Significantly more A. planipennis were captured per trap when traps without the rough texture were baited with the leaf blend and manuka oil lures than on traps with texture and manuka oil but no leaf blend.

Keywords

detection tools, green leaf volatiles, manuka oil, invasive forest pest, double-decker trap

Citation

Poland, Therese M.; McCullough, Deborah G.; Anulewicz, Andrea C. 2011. Evaluation of double-decker traps for emerald ash borer (Coleoptera:Buprestidae). Journal of Economic Entomology. 104(2): 517-531.