Xyleborus glabratus
Encyclopedia
The redbay ambrosia beetle, Xyleborus glabratus Eichhoff, is a type of ambrosia beetle
recently invasive
to United States. It has been documented as spreading laurel wilt
, a fungus that can kill several trees in the Lauraceae
family .
The beetle, first found in the United States in 2002, is native to Asia
and may have arrived in wood products, packing materials or pallets. Laurel wilt has been found in South Carolina
and Georgia
, and notably in Florida
, where it has reached as far south as Miami-Dade County and as far west as Columbia County
. In 2009, state officials in Mississippi
confirmed the positive identification of the disease in Jackson County
.
Larval development time takes from fifty to sixty days. Studied populations increase steadily in size until late summer and early fall without distinct population peaks, leading researchers to believe that there are overlapping generations with year-round reproduction for the insect.
The beetle was first detected in the United States in 2002, in Port Wentworth, Georgia . It has been suggested that this insect was introduced to the country on the wood of packing crates. The significance of these detections became apparent when the beetle was linked to and identified as the vector of laurel wilt
, a fungal disease that had been killing large numbers of redbay trees. The fungus grows throughout the xylem
of the tree, preventing the flow of water and nutrients throughout the plant. Death can occur from four to eleven weeks after inoculation.
Ambrosia beetle
Ambrosia beetles are beetles of the weevil subfamilies Scolytinae and Platypodinae , which live in nutritional symbiosis with ambrosia fungi and probably with bacteria...
recently invasive
Invasive
Invasive may refer to:*A military invasion*An invasive species*An invasive medical procedure*The invasively progressive spread of disease from one organ in the body to another, especially in reference to cancer...
to United States. It has been documented as spreading laurel wilt
Laurel wilt
Laurel wilt, also called laurel wilt disease, is a vascular disease of the Lauraceous plant caused by the fungus Raffaelea lauricola and transmitted by the invasive redbay ambrosia beetle, Xyleborus glabratus. The disease affects and kills members of the laurel family...
, a fungus that can kill several trees in the Lauraceae
Lauraceae
The Lauraceae or Laurel family comprises a group of flowering plants included in the order Laurales. The family contains about 55 genera and over 3500, perhaps as many as 4000, species world-wide, mostly from warm or tropical regions, especially Southeast Asia and South America...
family .
The beetle, first found in the United States in 2002, is native to Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and may have arrived in wood products, packing materials or pallets. Laurel wilt has been found in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
and Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, and notably in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, where it has reached as far south as Miami-Dade County and as far west as Columbia County
Columbia County, Florida
Columbia County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 56,513. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 64,040 . Its county seat is Lake City, Florida....
. In 2009, state officials in Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
confirmed the positive identification of the disease in Jackson County
Jackson County, Mississippi
There were 47,676 households out of which 37.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.70% were married couples living together, 14.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.10% were non-families. 20.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.10% had...
.
Adult
The redbay ambrosia beetle is a small, black or amber-brown, cigar-shaped beetle under two millimeters in length. The dorsal surface is mostly hairless and shiny when compared to other ambrosia beetles. They can be specifically identified by characters present on the elytral declivity, including its steep and convex shape when compared to other Xyleborus, and by the large size of indentations on the elytra.Larvae
The larvae of the beetle are typical to the group, appearing white and legless with an amber-colored head.Biology
The redbay ambrosia beetle is believed to originate from Asia or southeast Asia,. Males are haploid, smaller in size, and flightless. The beetle's biology is poorly documented, but presumed to be similar to that of other ambrosia beetles, with larvae and adults feeding on the symbiotic fungus it carries with it, and not the wood of the host tree. The spores of the fungus are carried in mycangia at the base of each mandible.Larval development time takes from fifty to sixty days. Studied populations increase steadily in size until late summer and early fall without distinct population peaks, leading researchers to believe that there are overlapping generations with year-round reproduction for the insect.
History of Expansion
Laurel wilt can spread in at least two ways: one is via the beetle's natural reproduction and migration. A second way is through the sale and transport of beetle-infested wood, a result of redbay's use as firewood and for outdoor grilling.The beetle was first detected in the United States in 2002, in Port Wentworth, Georgia . It has been suggested that this insect was introduced to the country on the wood of packing crates. The significance of these detections became apparent when the beetle was linked to and identified as the vector of laurel wilt
Laurel wilt
Laurel wilt, also called laurel wilt disease, is a vascular disease of the Lauraceous plant caused by the fungus Raffaelea lauricola and transmitted by the invasive redbay ambrosia beetle, Xyleborus glabratus. The disease affects and kills members of the laurel family...
, a fungal disease that had been killing large numbers of redbay trees. The fungus grows throughout the xylem
Xylem
Xylem is one of the two types of transport tissue in vascular plants. . The word xylem is derived from the Classical Greek word ξυλον , meaning "wood"; the best-known xylem tissue is wood, though it is found throughout the plant...
of the tree, preventing the flow of water and nutrients throughout the plant. Death can occur from four to eleven weeks after inoculation.
External links
- http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/foresthealth/laurelwilt/index.shtml
- http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/pi/enpp/ento/x.glabratus.html
- More images
- Xyleborus glabratus on the UFUniversity of FloridaThe University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
/ IFASInstitute of Food and Agricultural SciencesThe University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is a federal-state-county partnership dedicated to developing knowledge in agriculture, human and natural resources, and the life sciences, and enhancing and sustaining the quality of human life by making that information...
Featured Creatures Web site - "Farewell to taco topping?" - [Ambrosia beetle spreads Laurel Wilt