Area-wide application of verbenone-releasing flakes reduces mortality of whitebark pine Pinus albicaulis caused by the mountain pine beetle Dendroctonus ponderosae

Abstract

DISRUPT Micro-Flake Verbenone Bark Beetle Anti-Aggregant flakes (Hercon Environmental, Inc., Emigsville, Pennsylvania) were applied in two large-scale tests to assess their efficacy for protecting whitebark pine Pinus albicaulis Engelm. from attack by mountain pine beetle Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins (Coleoptera: Scolytinae) (MPB). At two locations, five plots of equivalent size and stand structure served as untreated controls. All plots had early- to mid-outbreak beetle populations (i.e. 7.1-29.2 attacked trees/ha). Verbenone was applied at 370 g/ha in both studies. Intercept traps baited with MPB aggregation pheromone were placed near the corners of each plot after the treatment in order to monitor beetle flight within the plots. Trap catches were collected at 7- to 14-day intervals, and assessments were made at the end of the season of stand structure, stand composition and MPB attack rate for the current and previous years.

Citation

Gillette, Nancy E.; Hansen, E. Matthew; Mehmel, Constance J.; Mori, Sylvia R.; Webster, Jeffrey N.; Erbilgin, Nadir; Wood, David L. 2012. Area-wide application of verbenone-releasing flakes reduces mortality of whitebark pine Pinus albicaulis caused by the mountain pine beetle Dendroctonus ponderosae. Agricultural and Forest Entomology. doi: 10.1111/j.1461-9563.2012.00577.x.