Scott Myers, Entomologist
USDAUSDA-APHISAPHIS-PPQ
Center for Plant Health, Science and Technology
Buzzards Bay, MA
Background
USDA – Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) : APHIS-PPQ safeguards
agriculture and natural resources from the risks associated with the
entry, establishment, or spread of animal and plant pests and noxious weeds.
The Center for Plant Health Science and Technology (CPHST):
Supports PPQ regulatory decisions and operations through methods
development work, scientific investigation, analyses and technology.
Otis Laboratory – Buzzards Bay, MA
Mission is to develop, refine, and transfer technology for pest survey,
exclusion, control, and risk assessment for APHIS
USDA Otis Laboratory – Buzzards Bay, MA
Primary focus is invasive forest insects:
Asian longhorned beetle
Emerald Ash borer
Gypsy moth / Asian gypsy moth
Sirex noctilio
Areas of Research
Biological Control
Pesticides
Molecular Diagnostics
Trapping and Survey Methodology
Commodity Treatment
Wood-boring wasp of pines
native to Europe, Near East,
and North Africa
€ Not a pest in its native habitats
€ Serious pest of exotic pine
plantations in the Southern
Hemisphere
€ Only Sirex species that attacks
relatively healthy pines
€ Likes Scots, red and white pine
....so far!
€
Family Siricidae = woodwasps, horntails
dark-blue metallic body
Male
Female
Part of abdomen, wings, and
front and middle legs chestnut brown
Amber-colored wings and legs
9 – 35 mm (⅜” – 1 ⅜”) long
12 – 34 mm (½” – 1⅜”) long
galleries
€
Dark-brown to
black spine
protruding from
tip of abdomen
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3 – 7 instars
€
Larval
development
can last from 10
months to 3
years in nature.
larval galleries
Worldwide spread of Sirex noctilio
• 2004
1961
1994
Native Range
Introduced
1980s
1952
1900
Fulton
First specimen identified from a trap collection in Sept 2004 near Fulton, NY
€ Usually
one year life cycle
€ Adults emerge June to September
and live 2 – 3 weeks.
€ Females drill holes in trees and
insert
• Toxic mucus and a symbiotic
fungus, Amylostereum areolatum.
• Eggs if the tree is suitable.
€ The
mucus and fungus kill the tree.
€ Sirex egg hatch is stimulated by the
fungus and larvae feed on fungus.
€ Potential
costs to
forestry estimated at $1
- $4 billion per rotation
with no control of Sirex
€ 5 million trees killed in
Green Triangle
outbreak in 1987-1988
€ Up to 80% mortality of
trees in some areas
€ Australians committed
to biological control
Green Triangle plantation – 1987
Woodwasp
(Sirex noctilio)
Nematode
(Beddingia siricidicola)
Fungus (Amylostereum areolatum)
Tree (Pinus species)
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November 2006 – controlled release of nematodes
obtained from Ecogrow in Canberra, Australia
January 2007 – first mass rearing of B. siricidicola
Fall 2007, 2008, and 2009 – controlled releases of
Australian “Kamona” nematodes reared at Otis lab
stylet
Beddingia siricidicola
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Develops near Sirex larva
Infects Sirex larva, but does not
affect development to adult
In the Sirex pupa, parasitic
females produce juvenile
nematodes that migrate from
the body cavity into ovarioles
and enter the eggs.
Sirex female emerges from tree
with eggs packed with juvenile
nematodes.
Nematodes move into new tree
when Sirex female lays eggs.
Infested
Sirex egg
Asian longhorned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis
Parasitic
female
ALB finds in the U.S.
1996 – NYC/Long Island area, NY
– ongoing, populations greatly reduced
1998 – Chicago, IL - eradicated
2002 – Jersey City, NJ - eradicated
2004 – Middlesex / Union County, NJ
– last detected in 2006
2007 – Staten Island, Pralls Island, NY – ongoing
2008 – Worcester, MA – ongoing
Worcester, MA – Asian Longhorned Beetle infestation detected in 2009
Asian longhorned beetle larvae
Asian Longhorned Beetle – Preferred hosts
Common Name
Genus
Notes
Maple, boxelder
Acer
All U.S species – Japanese maple
rarely attacked
Horsechestnut, buckeye
Aesculus
Several US records, some heavily
infested
Birch
Betula
Apparently less preferred than
maple
Poplar
Populus
Favorite in China, few US records
Willow
Salix
Weeping, pussy and white highly
favored
Elm
Ulmus
Less preferred than maple
Emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis
Discovered in southeastern Michigan near Detroit in 2002.
Likely in Michigan 10+ years before it was detected
Larvae feed on the inner bark of ash trees, disrupting the tree's ability to
transport water and nutrients
Tens of millions of ash trees killed
Emerald ash borer
Current USDA and state efforts are primarily to limit spread – human movement
Biological control efforts in Michigan with exotic parasitoids
EAB – has the potential to extinct ash trees in North America
900+ million ash trees in Minnesota alone
Commodity Treatment Research for Wood Products
Fumigation –
Efficacy of Methyl bromide and MeBr alternatives
Wood penetration of fumigants
Conventional Heat Treatment –
evaluation of ISPM-15 standard on invasive insects
Microwave / Radiofrequency – Heat
EAB Heat Treatment Research
What are the time temperature
requirements to kill EAB in firewood?
Can we develop a schedule for EAB that
will allow for the movement of firewood
from the quarantine area?
Exposed infested wood
to vary time/temperature
regimes…..
and see what survives
EAB Emergence / m2 Bark
Adult EAB Emergence Following Heat Treatment
at Four Temperatures for 30 Minutes1
1Mean
60
Schedule for solid packing
material (56ºC for 30)
minutes could allow for
adult EAB emergence
50
40
30
20
b
10
a
0
control
b
b
50 ºC
55 ºC
b
(0)
60 ºC
65 ºC
Treatment standard of 71ºC
for 75 minutes was adopted
by USDA for firewood in
EAB quarantine
± SEM, Means with the same letter are not significantly different (Tukey HSD, α=0.05)
Adult EAB Emergence Following Heat Treatment
at Four Temperatures for 60 Minutes1
60°C for 60 minutes was 100% effective
Data under review for change to T314-a in PPQ Treatment Manual
Objective: Evaluate 56°C core temperature for 30 minutes.
Naturally infested Scots pine log sections
~50 cm long ×10 cm diameter
Treatments: 3 Oven Temperatures
• 80°C 30 minutes
• 70°C 30 minutes
• 60°C 30 minutes
• Control
ESPEC Environmental Chamber
(~0.3 m3 capacity)
logs heated in pairs until core
reached 56°C for 30 min
Logs placed individually barrels
for emergence
Treated and control logs split
to determine larvae numbers
Maximum Core Temperature
56°C – 30 min heat treatment
65°C
61°C
58°C
Treatment
N
Control
15
173
157
60°C
20
213
0
70°C
28
416
0
80°C
23
292
0
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Total
Siricids
Adult
Emergence
~1000 larvae killed
56°C / 30 min schedule equally
effective at all heating rates.
Faster heating (mins Vs hrs)
Similar to microwave heating – heats from the inside out (18 MHz Vs 2.45
GHz)
More uniform heating
Heating rate proportional to moisture content
Energy efficient
Potential for inclusion under ISPM-15
Radio Frequency Heat Treatment
y
Treatments based on surface
temperature: 55, 60, 65 and 70°C
y
Wood barreled and split following
treatment
Pitch deposits
impact temperature
readings
FLIR camera systems
preferred for surface
temperature mapping
Temperature Probe Locations
Pith
P1: pith
P2: ½ way to pith
P3: ¼ inch depth
P4: outer bark
Treatment
(surface temp)
N (logs)
Total Larvae
Adults
% Mortality
Control
48
32
586
5.2
55°C
45
343
61
84.6
60°C
52
379
37
90.9
65°C
44
351
16
95.9
70°C
43
330
1
99.7
**Survival at 70°C suggests a lack of uniform heating – cold spot
FPA allows
measurement of
fumigant diffusion
through
10 × 10 cm blocks in
variety of thickness
Fumigant introduction
Sample measurement
Edges sealed with adhesive
polymer + tin foil to prevent loss of
fumigant
Tree species, grain orientation,
moisture content, temperature, etc
all influence fumigant movement
16 h schedules: T404 b-1-1 “wood products including containers”, ISPM15
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Large diameter (~12” × 4’) log sections
432L chambers
ends sealed
3 Doses @ 5°C
• 80 g/m3 for 24 hrs
(T404 b-1-1 +8 hrs)
• 80 g/m3 for 48 hrs
• 112 g/m3 for 24 hrs
€
Placed in barrels for adult
emergence
How long is required
to kill EAB larvae?
Treatments:
2 weeks
4 weeks
8 weeks
16 weeks
Contact Info:
Scott Myers
Entomologist
USDAUSDA-APHISAPHIS-CPHST
scott.myers@aphis.usda.gov
(508) 563563-9303 x259