A non-ALBOW infesting seasoned wood

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

1:42 PM – 1:54 PM PT

Location: Vancouver Convention Centre, Meeting Room 214

Presenting Author(s)

Karen M. Vail

Professor and Extension Urban Entomologist
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee

Co-Author(s)

AT

Adam Taylor

University of Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
PO

Paul O'Neal

Research Associate
Tennessee State University
McMinnville, Tennessee
KA

Karla Michele Addesso

Research Associate Professor
Tennessee State University
McMinnville, Tennessee
Jason B. Oliver

Research Professor of Entomology
Tennessee State University, Otis L. Floyd Nursery Research Center (TSU-NRC)
McMinnville, Tennessee
WK

William Klingeman

University of Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
EB

Ernest Bernard

University of Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Christopher M. Ranger

Research Entomologist
USDA-ARS
Wooster, Ohio

Teachers of wood-destroying organisms use the acronym ALBOW to describe beetles that will re-infest seasoned wood. ALBOW refers to the anobiine powderpost beetle (A), lyctine powderpost beetle (L), bostrichid powderpost beetle (B), old house borer (O) and weevils or wharf borers (W). In March of 2022, we were contacted about damage to white oak that had been cut into barrel staves and stacked to air dry in July and August of 2021. Distillers prefer the oak to be aged for at least 6 months before kiln drying due to the flavor imparted on the spirits. Various fungal feeding beetles were found near the damaged staves, including Silvanus sp. and Cryptolestes sp., but these taxa are not known to excavate wood. A site visit to the stave yard discovered 86 stacks with wood-boring damage. Dissection of the damaged wood revealed parts of a beetle that was eventually identified as Monarthrum mali, the applewood stainer. Wood samples have been retained to determine if M. mali will complete development in these staves. Because the attacked wood butted a wooded edge, it is suspected that M. mali originated from nearby trees and was attracted to the drying staves’ volatiles. Alternatively, the beetles may have been introduced from older logs. Future studies should (1) identify the volatiles produced by the attacked oak staves and (2) determine if the relative abundance of these volatiles can either predict the attack by these ambrosia beetles or be used to disqualify staves from being stored in the yard.