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Establishment of the predator Laricobius nigrinus, introduced as a biological control agent for hemlock woolly adelgid in Virginia, USA

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Abstract

Laricobius nigrinus Fender (Coleoptera: Derodontidae), a predatory beetle native to western North America, has been released since 2003 for management of hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), Adelges tsugae Annand (Hemiptera: Adelgidae), a non-native pest killing hemlocks in eastern North America. Over 420,000 L. nigrinus have been released in the eastern USA from field and lab-reared sources, 14,000 of which were deployed in the Commonwealth of Virginia, USA. In order to determine the establishment rates of L. nigrinus in Virginia, surveys were conducted in 2017 and 2018 at all release sites within this state. During the study, stand-level HWA densities were estimated, and hemlock tree health and predator–prey ratios were quantified. The identification of Laricobius spp. recoveries were made using microsatellite analysis. During the period of the study, L. nigrinus were found to have established at 82% of Virginia release sites and were the primary species recovered (80%). Both Laricobius rubidus (18%) and hybrids (2%) were also recovered. Stand-level HWA densities varied greatly over sites and years but showed a general decline in year two of the study. Establishment at such a high percentage of release sites suggests that the climate in Virginia is suitable for the predator and the insect is adaptable to the wide variety of site conditions where hemlocks typically grow.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Drs. Thomas Kuhar, Albert Mayfield, and Douglas Pfeiffer for thoughtful review of this project. We are grateful to Drs. Nathan Havill (USDA Forest Service) and Melissa Fischer (Washington State Department of Natural Resources) for assistance with molecular protocols, and to Natalie Morris, Kara Jeffries, Andy Dechaine, Ryan Mays, James Wahls (Virginia Tech) for field and laboratory assistance. We also thank Scott Passwaters (James River State Park), the staff at the Big Stone Gap Water Treatment Plant, Philip Coulling (Nature Camp), and Dennis Gaston, Katlin DeWitt and Lori Chamberlin (Virginia Department of Forestry) for site assistance.

Funding

This work was funded under USDA Forest Service cooperative agreement 14-CA-11420004-028.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Entomology, Virginia Tech, Price Hall, Room 216A, 170 Drillfield Drive, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA

    Carrie S. Jubb, Thomas J. McAvoy, Kari E. Stanley, Ariel R. Heminger & Scott M. Salom

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  1. Carrie S. Jubb
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  2. Thomas J. McAvoy
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  3. Kari E. Stanley
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  4. Ariel R. Heminger
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  5. Scott M. Salom
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Correspondence to Carrie S. Jubb.

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Handling Editor: Marta Montserrat.

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Jubb, C.S., McAvoy, T.J., Stanley, K.E. et al. Establishment of the predator Laricobius nigrinus, introduced as a biological control agent for hemlock woolly adelgid in Virginia, USA. BioControl 66, 367–379 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-020-10072-5

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