Advances in biological control of invasive ambrosia beetles in the Euwallacea fornicatus species complex

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

1:42 PM – 1:54 PM PT

Location: Vancouver Convention Centre, Meeting Room 208/209

Presenting Author(s)

CD

Christine Dodge

Postdoctoral Scholar
University of California
Riverside, California

Co-Author(s)

AW

Aaron Weber

USDA-APHIS
Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts
DH

Deena Husein

University of California
Riverside, California
YL

Yi-Chang Liao

National Chung Hsing University
Taichung City, Taichung, Taiwan (Republic of China)
Paul F. Rugman-Jones

Associate Project Scientist
University of California
Riverside, California
JG

Juli R. Gould

Entomologist
USDA-APHIS
Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts
RS

Richard Stouthamer

University of California
Riverside, California
ZL

Zachary Lee

USDA-APHIS
Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts

Ambrosia beetles in the Euwallacea fornicatus species complex are invasive in the United States and have caused damage to agricultural, urban, and natural forest landscapes. Their cryptic lifestyle makes them difficult to target with pesticides, and their inbred mating system prevents their control via reproductive manipulation. Biological control remains the most promising avenue for controlling these beetles in their invasive range. Several undescribed hymenopteran parasitoids from their native range in Taiwan have been shown to develop on beetles in the E. fornicatus species complex: a Eucosmophorus sp. (Braconidae), a Phymastichus sp. (Eulophidae), and likely at least two species of Bethylidae. Herein we describe advances in a) our understanding of the biologies of these parasitoids, and b) methods for developing laboratory colonies of parasitoids. We discuss the implications of our findings on the comparative utility of each of these parasitoids as biological control agents against the E. fornicatus species complex.