Ceratocystis fagacearum, (Bretz) Hunt, the causal agent of oak wilt, is transmitted overland from diseased to healthy oaks by sap beetles (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae). Carpophilus sayi (Parsons) has been implicated as one of the principal sap beetle vectors in Minnesota. Field studies were conducted with synthetically-produced, male aggregation pheromone to determine 1) optimal rate and effect of a food synergist on beetle response, and 2) seasonal flight activity. Wind oriented funnel traps with six different bait treatments were re-randomized weekly from 4 April through 18 October 2002 in four east-central Minnesota sites. The high dose (500µg) pheromone plus whole wheat bread dough attracted the highest numbers of C. sayi. Carpophilus brachypterus Say and C. corticinus Erich were also found in the traps indicating cross-attraction. Peaks in C. sayi flight activity occurred in mid-July and early October; a second year of monitoring is currently underway. This optimized bait involving a commercially available pheromone will be useful in refining high risk periods for oak wilt spread. In addition to identifying peak periods of flight activity, the beetles trapped with this bait may also be assayed to determine fungal phoresy rates.
Species 1: Coleoptera Nitidulidae Carpophilus sayi (sap beetle)
Species 2: Coleoptera Nitidulidae Carpophilus brachypterus
Species 3: Coleoptera Nitidulidae Carpophilus corticinus
Keywords: Quercus, Ceratocystis fagacearum
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