History and General Information Flashcards
Choose the best answer. The Latin name for western cedar borer is:
A) Trachykele blondeli
B) Trachykele fattigi
C) Trachykele hartmani
D) Trachykele nimbosa
The correct answer is A: Trachykele blondeli
Some other common names for western cedar borer are:
A) Powder wyrm, flat headed cedar driver, pole corer
B) Powerworm, flat headed cedar corer, pole driver
C) Powder worm, flat headed cedar borer, pole borer
The correct answer is C: “Powder worm”, “flat headed cedar borer” and “pole borer”.
Powder worm was first documented in Europe during the year of 1865. Choose the best answer for the precise location:
A) Ypres, France: in an imported Russian doll made of cedar.
B) Berlin, Germany: in a cedar plantation.
C) Paris, France: in a custom home.
The correct answer is C: Sylvain Auguste de Marseul was the first to officially document Powder Worm in 1865. The specimen was found in a custom home in Paris and France. M. Blondel was the person who discovered the insect in the home, hence the Latin name “blondeli”.
What species of tree was the western cedar borer first discovered in? Choose the best answer:
A) Western redcedar
B) Yellow cedar
C) French cedar
D) Lebanon Cedar
The correct answer is D: Lebanon Cedar
What is the distribution of western cedar borer in British Columbia? Choose the best answer.
A) Southern British Columbia and Vancouver Island below 500 m elevation.
B) Northern BC to southwest BC along the coast below 300 m elevation.
C) Southwest coastal BC and Vancouver Island below 250 m Elevation.
The correct answer is C: Vancouver Island, the gulf islands are of highest concern and the mainland coast, from Drury inlet southward. Cedar borer activity is typically restricted to areas that are below 250 m elevation. See the attached map for a visual representation.
image source: http://cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/pubwarehouse/pdfs/32919.pdf
Where was powder worm first documented in BC? Choose the correct answer:
A) Elk Falls Provincial Park
B) Carmanah Walbran Provincial Park
C) Gold Stream Provincial Park
D) MacMillian Provincial Park
The correct answer is C: The western cedar borer was first reported in Gold Stream Provincial Park on Vancouver Island in the year 1914.
What was significant about the date 1917 in relation to western cedar borer?
In 1917, the BC government officially reported Powder Worm “as a destructive wood borer of green cedar”.
What is the 3 letter code for western cedar borer? Choose the correct answer:
A) IBB
B) IDB
C) ISB
D) IBC
The correct answer is C: ISB (Insect-Shoot-insect-Borer) Although this insect is a beetle, it does not receive the standard beetle label for the second letter. Western cedar borer is classified as a shoot insect in forest pest management, and receives the S for shoot insect as the second letter.
Given that the adult form of the western cedar borer is a beetle, and it is classified as a wood boring pest… What Order, Family and Genus does the cedar borer belong to?
As a beetle, the order is: Coleoptera The western cedar borer belongs to the flat headed borers family: Buprestidae Western cedar borer is recognized by taxonomists as one of a group of five closely related species that form the: Trachykele genus.
What is the reason for the common name “powder worm” that is also used to refer to the western cedar borer?
Once Powder Worm is in the larval stage it bores tunnels into the heartwood of cedar trees to feed, leaving behind a wood coloured boring dust. When a Powder Worm infested log is milled, the dust in the tunnels resembles a white powder, leading to the name “powder worm”. See the attached image for an idea of what tunnels would look like.
image source: https://sflonews.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/borer-tunnels.jpg
What are some common wood products that can no longer be produced from logs that have been infested by the cedar borer?
Once a cedar log has been infested by cedar borer, wood products such as: shingles, boat strips, furniture, and shiplap can no longer be produced from the products created by the infested log.
What type of damage does the cedar borer larva cause?
Cedar borer larvae target sound wood; often tunnelling through the heartwood, lowering the value of affected logs. The tunnels do not cause significant strength loss, however the logs are significantly down graded due to the imperfections and there is no international market for borer damaged products. See the attached “top down” view of a larger stem with borer damage.
image source: http://web.forestry.ubc.ca/fetch21/Z-PDF-pest-info-folder/Trachykele%20blondeli.pdf
What are some products that can still be made from wood that has been infested by the cedar borer?
Cedar borer infested logs can still be used for fencing, post, sill logs, puncheon, and other construction material. The larva does not affect the strength of the wood however they damage the visual quality of the wood, greatly reducing its value.
What is a common industry term for cedar that have been infested by the cedar borer? Choose the best answer:
A) Wormy cedar
B) Holey cedar
C) Powder wood
D) Swiss cheese
The correct answer is A: Wormy cedar is a term used for wood that had been damaged by the cedar borer.
What is the greatest economic issue with cedar borer infested wood?
Once Powder Worm has infested a log it can go from being a high-grade log to being virtually worthless. Considering the typically longer rotations required for cedar to gain volume, the results of cedar borer can be a major dissapointment.
