EAB: the little green menace

Question 1

Life Cycle

Answer 1

May through August are adults
Larvae can be found under the bark at any point
Larvae can live up to 2 years
They pupate and become adults in a chamber in the bark. but do not tunnel into the hardwood.
Males fly around and look for females. This might be why they’re brightly colored.
Identified a pheromone for Buprestids, but males look for visual cues.
Feeds on mature leaves. Feeding damage does not affect tree.

Question 2

Larval Feeding

Answer 2

Larvae feed just underneath the bark.
“Sack of chitin with some water in it” Lol
Larvae has bell-shaped segments
On the terminal abdominal segment, there are two pokers called, “urogomphi”
s-shaped feeding galleries which are easier to see in low-density infestations (SUPER diagnostic)

Question 3

Adult exit holes

Answer 3

depressive, d-shaped, rounded exit holes

Question 4

Adult distinguishing characteristics

Answer 4

bright green …?
purple top of abdomen

Question 5

Why is EAB such a challenge?

Answer 5

Loooong lag phase b/w establishment of insect and tree symptoms
ALWAYS playing catch-up. Don’t notice the infestation right away bc it can take 4-5 years to see canopy dieback. Look for the Woodpeckers present with EAB (feed on them) in year 2-3

Sampling is difficult.
Funnel traps didn’t really work
Panel traps (stick em special)
manuca oil placed inside due to its similar smell to ash
Didn’t catch EAB until tree was already showing symptoms

Lack of host resistance among NA ash.
Ash emits no defense to EAB

Question 6

Management strategies

Answer 6

Sanitation: Take out infested trees
especially in satellite (early) infestations

Chemical injections of individual trees: am ben?

Biological: “stingless” wasps (that do not sting people)