Archive:Poplar/Bronze Poplar Borer

From Bugwoodwiki

bronze poplar borer Photo by Mike Ostry, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Hexapoda (including Insecta) Order: Coleoptera Family: Buprestidae Genus: Agrilus Species: liragus Scientific Name Agrilus liragus Barter & Brown, 1950

From: Ostry, Michael E.; Wilson, Louis F.; McNabb, Harold S., Jr.; Moore, Lincoln M. 1988. A guide to insect, disease, and animal pests of poplars. Agric. Handb. 677. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture. 118 p.

Contents 1 Importance 2 Biology 3 Monitoring 4 Control

Importance

The larvae girdle stems by feeding under the bark. Stems that are weakened or dying from other causes are particularly susceptible.

Look For:

• Dead or dying trees.

• D-shaped holes on the surface of the bark of the branches and stems.

• Zig-zag galleries on the wood surface of the branches and stems. (You will need to remove some bark with a knife to see these.)

Biology

Females lay eggs in bark crevices throughout the summer. Emerging larvae tunnel into the cambium of the branches and stem. The life cycle extends over two winters

Monitoring

Inspect medium-age trees for signs of injury. If 10 percent of the trees become infested, treat or harvest the stand.

Control

• Maintain healthy trees, fertilize, and water if possible.

• Cut and destroy infested trees.

• Apply a pesticide recommended for wood-boring insects to the stems and branches in early summer to control adults.