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- Title
Field Trials of Wild Entomopathogenic Fungi and Commercial Steinernema carpocapsae on the Large Pine Weevil (Hylobius abietis [L.]) Including an Assessment of Non-Target Effects.
- Authors
Quinzo-Ortega, Luis M.; Swaney, William T.; Moore, Roger; Rae, Robbie; Williams, Christopher D.
- Abstract
Simple Summary: The major insect pest of European plantation forests is the large pine weevil. Traditionally, this pest has been controlled by applications of synthetic pesticides. However, because of human health and environmental concerns, there is a need to develop alternative sustainable management strategies. One such strategy is the use of biological control agents. We trialled the efficacy of wild-collected insect-killing fungi and commercial round worms (nematodes) alone and in combination against immature stages of the large pine weevil, which live under the bark of freshly cut stumps. All treatments, as assessed by monitoring emergence with specialised traps, significantly reduced the weevil populations compared to the untreated controls, and the destructive sampling of stumps revealed strong associations between treatment type and infection outcomes. We also monitored non-target insects emerging from treated and untreated stumps. There was no effect on abundance, taxon richness or community composition of the control agents, indicating that they encountered negligible negative environmental consequences. The large pine weevil (Hylobius abietis L.) is a major pest in European and Asian coniferous forests, particularly in managed plantations where clear-felling practices create ideal conditions for its population growth. Traditional management practices involving synthetic insecticides have limited efficacy in terms of reducing pest populations and pose environmental risks. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a wild entomopathogenic fungus (EPF) and the commercial entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae (EPN) as biological control agents (BCAs) against H. abietis in clear-felled spruce plantations in Wales and Scotland. Field trials used a randomised block design with three treatments (EPN full dose, EPF full dose and a combination of EPF EPN at half doses each) compared to a control. Emergence trapping and destructive sampling were employed to assess treatment efficacy. All treatments significantly reduced weevil emergence, with the mixed treatment showing the greatest impact. Destructive sampling revealed strong associations between treatment type and infection outcomes in H. abietis, with a small but significant relationship between weevil developmental stages and infection types. Importantly, the treatments had no significant impact on the total abundance or taxon richness of non-target invertebrates. These findings suggest that wild EPFs alone and combined with EPNs are effective and environmentally safe alternatives to synthetic insecticides for managing H. abietis populations in managed forests.
- Subjects
HYLOBIUS abietis; BIOLOGICAL pest control agents; NEMATODES; INSECT pests; INSECT nematodes; TREE farms; INSECTICIDES
- Publication
Insects (2075-4450), 2024, Vol 15, Issue 12, p967
- ISSN
2075-4450
- Publication type
Academic Journal
- DOI
10.3390/insects15120967