The effect of bark thickness on the effectiveness of Tetrastichus planipennisi (Hymen: Eulophidae) and Atanycolus spp. (Hymen: Braconidae), two parasitoids of emerald ash borer (Coleop: Buprestidae)

Abstract

Parasitoids have recently been introduced from Asia to aid in biological control in the United States of the invasive, highly damaging, emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis. Three introduced parasitoids have established and field biological studies are underway to improve our understanding of niche partitioning among them. Here we report one such investigation, a field experiment conducted to determine how outer bark thickness of ash trees might affect parasitism by one introduced (Tetrastichus planipennisi) and one native parasitoid (Atanycolus spp.). We found that T. planipennisi was unable to parasitize EAB larvae in trees with outer bark thicker than 3.2 mm(>11.2-cm DBH) whereas Atanycolus spp. parasitized EAB larvae in ash trees with outer bark up to 8.8 mm thick (>57.4-cm DBH). These results suggest that establishment of, and control by T. planipennisi at release sites with only large diameter trees is less likely, and that T. planipennisi will be more effective in stands with younger trees (

Citation

Abell, Kristopher J.; Duan, Jian J.; Bauer, Leah; Lelito, Jonathan P.; Van Driesche, Roy G. 2012. The effect of bark thickness on the effectiveness of Tetrastichus planipennisi (Hymen: Eulophidae) and Atanycolus spp (Hymen: Braconidae), two parasitoids of emerald ash borer (Coleop: Buprestidae). Biological Control. 63: 320-325.