Sirex noctilio
exotic siricid survey
In its native range, Sirex noctilio attacks pines almost exclusively, e.g., Scotch (Pinus sylvestris), Austrian (P. nigra), and maritime (P. pinaster) pines. This woodwasp was introduced inadvertently into New Zealand, Australia, Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and South Africa. In these Southern Hemisphere countries, Sirex woodwasp attacks exotic pine plantations, and it has caused up to 80 percent tree mortality. Most of the plantations are planted with North American pine species.
Recent detections of siricids outside of port areas in the United States have raised concerns because these insects have the potential to cause significant mortality of pines. Awareness of the symptoms and signs of a siricid infestation increases the chance of early detection, and thus, the rapid response needed to contain and manage this exotic forest pest.
Another siricid of concern, Urocerus gigas gigas, has become established in Argentina and Chile where it infests Monterey pine, Pinus radiata (Klasmer n.d., USDA Forest Service 1993). Exotic subspecies of this insect would find suitable climatic conditions if introduced into North America and should be able to adapt to a number of North American conifers. However, they might have difficulty competing with the large complex of indigenous wood boring insects already present in North America.
We will set out traps near the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport from May to early June and remove traps from the field by the end of September. We will use IPM Tech intercept panel traps with lures consisting of (75% + enantiomer)-alpha-pinene (70%) and beta-pinene (30%). Trap collections will be made once every two weeks. Taxonomic support for this survey will be provided by the Department of Entomology at the University of Kentucky.
