Attraction of Walnut Twig Beetle Pityophthorus juglandis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) to the Fungus Geosmithia morbida

Luna, E., Cranshaw, W., and Tisserat, N. 2014. Attraction of walnut twig beetle Pityophthorus juglandis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) to the fungus Geosmithia morbida. Plant Health Progress doi:10.1094/PHP-RS-14-0001 Geosmithia morbida causes thousand cankers disease of Juglans nigra and it is transmitted by the walnut twig beetle (WTB, Pityophthorus juglandis). Along with WTB, an ambrosia beetle, Xyleborinus saxeseni, is commonly associated with thousand cankers disease in the later stages of J. nigra decline, although X. saxeseni is not a known vector of G. morbida. We initiated studies to determine whether WTBs or X. saxeseni were attracted to volatiles produced by G. morbida and other bark fungi in a laboratory choice-test setting. There was no difference between the numbers of emerged WTB adults that were collected in tubes containing potato dextrose agar colonized by G. morbida and those in tubes containing agar only. More adult X. saxeseni were collected in tubes containing agar only compared with G. morbida. Walnut twig beetle larvae migrated more frequently toward an agar plug colonized by G. morbida and Fusarium solani compared with an un-colonized agar plug. No larval preference was observed when agar plugs colonized by F. solani and G. morbida, or G. morbida and Penicillium solitum, were placed in the same petri dish. These results suggest that WTB larvae are attracted to bark fungi in general, but not specifically to G. morbida.

[1]  M. Faccoli,et al.  First Record of Thousand Cankers Disease Geosmithia morbida and Walnut Twig Beetle Pityophthorus juglandis on Juglans nigra in Europe. , 2014, Plant disease.

[2]  X. Martini,et al.  Volatiles from the symbiotic fungus Raffaelea lauricola are synergistic with Manuka lures for increased capture of the Redbay ambrosia beetle Xyleborus glabratus , 2014 .

[3]  M. Kolařík,et al.  Vector Affinity and Diversity of Geosmithia Fungi Living on Subcortical Insects Inhabiting Pinaceae Species in Central and Northeastern Europe , 2013, Microbial Ecology.

[4]  L. Stelinski,et al.  The Scent of a Partner: Ambrosia Beetles Are Attracted to Volatiles from Their Fungal Symbionts , 2011, Journal of Chemical Ecology.

[5]  M. Windham,et al.  Initial Assessment of Thousand Cankers Disease on Black Walnut, Juglans nigra, in Eastern Tennessee , 2011 .

[6]  W. Cranshaw.  Recently Recognized Range Extensions of the Walnut Twig Beetle, Pityophthorus juglandis Blackman (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), in the Western United States , 2011 .

[7]  M. Kolařík,et al.  Geosmithia morbida sp. nov., a new phytopathogenic species living in symbiosis with the walnut twig beetle (Pityophthorus juglandis) on Juglans in USA , 2011, Mycologia.

[8]  M. Rohlfs,et al.  Species-specific responses of dew fly larvae to mycotoxins , 2009, Mycotoxin Research.

[9]  N. Tisserat,et al.  Black walnut mortality in Colorado caused by the walnut twig beetle and Thousand Cankers Disease. , 2009 .

[10]  M. Kolařík,et al.  Geosmithia Fungi are Highly Diverse and Consistent Bark Beetle Associates: Evidence from their Community Structure in Temperate Europe , 2008, Microbial Ecology.

[11]  D. Six,et al.  Dietary Benefits of Fungal Associates to an Eruptive Herbivore: Potential Implications of Multiple Associates on Host Population Dynamics , 2007, Environmental entomology.

[12]  J. Cronin,et al.  Antagonisms, mutualisms and commensalisms affect outbreak dynamics of the southern pine beetle , 2006, Oecologia.

[13]  M. Blackwell,et al.  Ecology and evolution of mycophagous bark beetles and their fungal partners. , 2005 .

[14]  A. Borg-Karlson,et al.  Volatiles of Bracket Fungi Fomitopsis pinicola and Fomes fomentarius and Their Functions as Insect Attractants , 1999, Journal of Chemical Ecology.

[15]  P. Phelan,et al.  Comparison of volatiles from beetle-transmittedCeratocystis fagacearum and four non-insect-dependent fungi , 1992, Journal of Chemical Ecology.

[16]  M. Ayres,et al.  Nitrogen budgets of phloem-feeding bark beetles with and without symbiotic fungi , 2000 .

[17]  D. Six,et al.  Effects of Mycangial Fungi and Host Tree Species on Progeny Survival and Emergence of Dendroctonus ponderosae (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) , 1998 .

[18]  R. Beaver.  Insect-fungus relationships in the bark and ambrosia beetles. , 1989 .

[19]  H. Honda,et al.  Fungal volatiles as oviposition attractants for the yellow peach moth, Conogethes punctiferalis (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) , 1988 .

[20]  S. Barras.  Antagonism between Dendroctonus frontalis and the Fungus Ceratocystis minor , 1970 .

[21]  R. P. Collins,et al.  CARBONYL COMPOUNDS PRODUCED BY CERATOCYSTIS FAGACEARUM , 1965 .

[22]  C. Griswold.  Transmission of the Oak Wilt Fungus by Certain Woodland-Inhabiting Drosophilidae , 1958 .

[23]  J. G. Leach,et al.  The Bionomics of Certain Insects Associated with Oak Wilt with Particular Reference to the Nitidulidae , 1956 .