Page 5 - Volume 3, Issue 1, January 2010
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© Benaki Phytopathological Institute
Phloeosinus bicolor
in urban trees in Greece
3
(Hym.: Eurytomidae) associated mainly with
M. unifasciatus
on Mediterranean Cypress in
Israel (25, 26);
Entedon ergias
Walker (Hym.:
Eulophidae),
Calosota aestivalis
Curtis (Hym.:
Eupelmidae) and
Cephalonomia hypobori
Kieffer (Hym: Bethylidae) on living Cupres-
saceae in Europe and the Near East (20).
M.
unifasciatus
and
D. protuberans
were com-
monly found in most samplings throughout
the year in Israel (25, 26).
Control of
P. bicolor
is mainly by improv-
ing growth conditions of trees to retain vig-
or and reduce the threat of future attacks.
Wind damage, physical injuries and soil
compaction make trees attractive to bark
beetles in general (e.g. trees along road-
ways and parking areas). Infested branches
or heavy infested trees should be removed
in order to eradicate developing larvae. Cor-
rective pruning or tree removal should be
performed in the winter when flight activi-
ty of
P. bicolor
is minimal and the plant ma-
terial should be disposed away from healthy
trees (13, 31).
Bait wood/trap-logs are recommended
in Israel and China for suppression of the sc-
olytid population in cypress and
Thuja,
re-
spectively, by installing them before the first
emergence and then removing and destroy-
ing them after infestation (15, 24). Cypress
logs baring branches (not pruned) should
be used for trapping as they have been
proved more effective (significantly higher
gallery density, total gallery length and cu-
mulative density of penetration holes) com-
pared to the pruned ones, presumably due
to a slower rate of water loss (24).
Unless trees are monitored regularly so
that borer attack can be detected early, any
chemical spray applied after the penetra-
tion of the bark by the borer is likely to be
too late and ineffective. Recent transplants
and high-value trees, stressed for any rea-
son or located near infested trees, could
be protected from bark beetles with topi-
cal applications of registered insecticides.
These treatments should target the adults
by spraying the bark so that the beetles are
killed when they land on trees and attempt
to bore into the bark to lay eggs (30). Appli-
cations should be made at least on the trunk
and major limbs of the trees prior to the
first flights of the bark beetle in early spring
and maintain coverage during the period
of adult activity (June-July) (13, 31). Trials
on sections of logs with pyrethrins (bifen-
thrin, permethrin) or carbaryl were effective
in preventing successful attacks and coloni-
zation of Arizona Cypress (
Cupressus arizon-
ica
) and one-seed juniper (
Juniperus mono-
sperma
) by two other species of
Phloeosinus
(14). However, there are no registered insec-
ticides for bark beetles of Cupressaceae in
Greece (3).
Literature cited
Alonso-Zarazaga, M.A. 2002. Lista preliminar de
1.
los Coleoptera Curculionoidea del área Ibero-
Balear, con descripción de
Melicius
gen. nov. y
nuevas citas.
Boletίn S.E.A.,
31: 9-33.
Anagnou-Veroniki, M., Papaioannou-Souli-
2.
otis, P., Karanastasi, E. and Giannopolitis, C.N.
2008. New records of plant pests and weeds
in Greece, 1990-2007.
Hellenic Plant Protection
Journal,
1: 55-78.
Anonymous, 2009. Authorized Plant Protec-
3.
tion Products Data Base of the Hellenic Minis-
try of Rural Development and Food. Available at
Avtzis, D.N. and Avtzis, N.D. 2001. Control of the
4.
most dangerous insects of Greek forests and
plantations. In Liebhold, A.M., McManus, M.L.,
Otvos, I.S., Fosbroke, S.L.C (eds).
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tegrated management and dynamics of forest de-
foliating insects
. 15-19 August, 1999, Victoria, BC,
Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-277, Newtown Square, PA,
US. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service,
Northeastern Research Station, p. 1-5.
Balachowsky, A. 1949.
5.
Faune de France no 50. Co-
léoptères Scolytides
. Librairie de la Faculté des
Sciences, Paris, 320 p.
Bel Habib, R., Ben Jamâa, M.L. and Nouira, S.
6.
2007. Biological characteristics of the cypress
bark beetle
Phloeosinus aubei
in the Kessra for-
est, center of Tunisia.
Tunisian Journal of Plant
Protection
, 2: 99-108.
Bovigny, P.Y. 1994. Dieback in Thujas.
7.
Revue Hor-
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Bright, D.E. and Skidmore, R.E.
8.
1997.
A catalogue
of Scolytidae and Platypodidae (Coleoptera), Sup-
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. Ottawa, Canada: NRC Re-
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9.
2002.
A catalogue
of Scolytidae and Platypodidae (Coleoptera), Sup-
