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. Pseudoscymnus tsugae, Laricobius nigrinus, and other Coleopteran predators are under evaluation as control agents. The small size and cryptic behavior of the predators has made sampling at release sites inefficient and inaccurate. In an attempt to improve sampling methods, we wish to determine the role of olfaction in host-finding. Morphological studies of P. tsugae and L. nigrinus antennae were conducted using scanning and transmission electron microscopy to identify potential olfactory structures. Behavior was analyzed using a 4-arm olfactometer, with infested hemlock serving as the semiochemical source. Such information might later be used to improve sampling methods and effectively monitor released populations.
Species 1: Homoptera Adelgidae Adelges tsugae (Hemlock woolly adelgid)
Species 2: Coleoptera Coccinellidae Pseudoscymnus tsugae
Species 3: Coleoptera Derodontidae Laricobius nigrinus
Keywords: morphology, olfaction
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