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10-Minute Presentation

Plant-Insect Ecosystems

10-min: P-IE, Chemical Ecology

X-ray tomography for revealing the gallery architecture of Ambrosia beetles as influenced by stress-induced semiochemicals

Sunday, November 10, 2024
10:36 AM – 10:48 AM MST
Location: Phoenix Convention Center, 225 A, PCC
Oral Presentation
Wood-boring ambrosia beetles tunnel into host trees to excavate galleries for growing their nutritional fungal mutualists and rearing offspring. Some invasive species within the Tribe Xyleborini preferentially select trees weakened by abiotic or biotic stressors. Ethanol is a stress-induced semiochemical that ambrosia beetles use for locating vulnerable hosts. Acetic acid is also induced in response to stress. Our overall objective was to assess the influence of ethanol and acetic acid on tunneling and gallery excavation by ambrosia beetles. Stem sections (i.e., bolts) of deciduous trees were infused with dilute solutions of ethanol and acetic acid or water. Individual ambrosia beetles were then confined to the bolts under no-choice conditions. Sawdust ejected during tunneling was quantified. X-ray tomography was used to generate three-dimensional images of the galleries from which the gallery volume was calculated. Ethanol and acetic acid were determined to enhance tunneling, gallery excavation, and offspring production by invasive ambrosia beetles.