Influences of Climate, Competition, and Novel Hosts on Parasitoids of Emerald Ash Borer, and their Establishment in Virginia, and North Carolina

Emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) is a species of wood boring beetle which feeds on the inner bark of ash trees, Fraxinus spp., and white fringe tree, Chionanthus virginicus L. In North America emerald ash borer feeding damages the trees vascular system, killing the tree in 1-6 years after initial infestation. Emerald ash borer's native range is north east China, the Russian Far East, and the Korean peninsula. In the mid-1990s emerald ash borer was accidentally introduced to Michigan from the Hebei and Tianjin city province regions of China. Since then, due to human-aided transport and natural spread, emerald ash borer now infests 35 states and five Canadian provinces. Studies in to Asia discovered several species of parasitic wasps which feed and reproduce on emerald ash borer; four of these species were approved for release in the United States. Three species which attack emerald ash borer larvae Tetrastichus planipennisi Yang (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), Spathius agrili Yang (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), and Spathius galinae Belokobylskij and Strazanac (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), and one species which utilizes emerald ash borer eggs, Oobius agrili Zhang and Huang (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae). This research focuses on the control of emerald ash borer using the three larvae-utilizing species of parasitic wasp. The first objective of this research focuses on the synchrony of emerald ash borer larvae with the early spring emergence of S. agrili and S. galinae. The first objective also assessed how two different cold temperature treatments changed the emergence timing, and health of the wasps. The second objective assessed to determine the effects of competition between S. agrili and S. galinae when they were exposed to a single emerald ash borer larvae sequentially, and simultaneously. When exposed sequentially, the first wasp held the competitive advantage, but when exposed simultaneously S. agrili had a small advantage, but did not completely exclude S. galinae. The third objective focused on the potential for two larval parasitoids, S. agrili and S. galinae to parasitize emerald ash borer larvae in the novel host plant white fringe tree. We determined that both parasitoids are capable of finding and parasitizing emerald ash borer larvae within a non-ash host. Finally, we located 13 stands of emerald ash borer infested ash in Virginia and North Carolina in order to determine its life cycle, and overwintering life stage. We determined that emerald ash borer overwinters at different life stages, and has a more complex life cycle than previously reported. Additionally, all three species of larvae-utilizing parasitic wasp were recovered at field sites at least 1 year after release. These results all show promise for the biocontrol program, and indicate that biocontrol of emerald ash borer could be successful in Virginia and North Carolina.

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