Hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) is a serious pest of eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) and Carolina hemlock (Tsuga caroliniana) in the forest setting. Although chemical controls are feasible in the landscape and nursery settings, ecological, environmental, and logistical constraints prevent utilization of such controls in the forest setting. Biological control is viewed as the most promising method for management of HWA. Several predators are under evaluation for introduction, with Pseudoscymnus tsugae having been mass released at locations in mid-Atlantic and northeastern United States and several other Coleopteran predators on the verge of mass rearing and release. Due to the small size and cryptic behavior of these predators, sampling methods designed to monitor predator populations are inefficient and inaccurate. For this reason, we have undertaken a project looking at olfactory-mediated behavior in these predators. Volatile emissions from HWA-infested and uninfested foliage were collected, identified and quantified to elucidate any potential wound response as well as determine whether predators might use such cues in host-location.
Species 1: Homoptera Adelgidae Adelges tsugae (hemlock woolly adelgid)
Species 2: Pinaceae Tsuga canadensis (eastern hemlock)
Keywords: semiochemicals, herbivory
The ESA 2001 Annual Meeting - 2001: An Entomological Odyssey of ESA