Enhancing identification of cerambycids and buprestids from port interceptions in solid wood packing material

Larvae of wood boring beetles are the common stage detected during inspection of imported wood packing materials by Customs and Border Protection.  Larvae are difficult to identify beyond family level by morphological characteristics, so we are rearing adults from larvae in the families Cerambycidae and Buprestidae intercepted at six ports in the U.S.  Once adults are identified to species we establish a DNA barcode by which larvae can also be identified.  We are compiling records of intercepted species and evaluating high risk pathways of entry as well as failures of regulatory treatments of solid wood packing material.  Data will be presented from the first year of the project.