Host preference of adult emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) on green ash seedlings subjected to different stress and vigor treatments

Host preference of the invasive emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, Coleoptera:Buprestidae) was compared among green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) seedlings randomly assigned to four different treatments. Seedlings were treated with N-P-K fertilizer, girdled, potted in a 1:1 mix of sawdust: potting soil or left untreated. Levels of chlorophyll and nitrogen in ash foliage were quantified. EAB adult beetle feeding preference was assessed in one and two-choice bioassays. Beetles on girdled trees consumed more leaf area in no-choice bioassays, but there was little difference among other treatments. Daily observations of beetles in two-choice bioassays revealed more activity on seedlings grown in sawdust or girdled.