On the road again: Documenting the flight potential and spatial distribution of ambrosia beetle

In eastern Virginia, ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera:Curculionidae), particularly Xylosandrus crassiusculus, pose a significant threat to stressed trees in nurseries by utilizing olfactory cues to locate ethanol-emitting hosts. These beetles bore into trees, creating pin-sized holes and extruding frass. Understanding their flight potential and spatial distribution is crucial for managing their populations when economically relevant. To investigate the landscape ecology of ambrosia beetles, two methods were employed. First, 24-hour flight mill sessions with tethered beetles using optic fiber showed that X. crassiusculus could fly an average of 100 meters. Second, a mark and recapture technique involved capturing beetles, marking them with fluorescent powder, and releasing them in woodlots. Ethanol-lured bottle traps, arranged in a 3 x 3 grid, were used to recapture these released beetles. The recapture data indicated that beetles could fly up to 225 meters from the releasing point. These findings highlight the dispersal abilities of ambrosia beetles, suggesting that nurseries could place deciduous thin-barked tree crops beyond the 225-m range to reduce exposure to these pests. Additionally, this information can guide the strategic placement of traps for mass trapping efforts to control ambrosia beetle populations under nursery conditions. Understanding both the flight potential and spatial distribution of X. crassiusculus can help mitigate their impact on stressed trees and improve pest management strategies.