Work

Parasitoids of Agrilus spp. in Europe: Anticipating the arrival of Agrilus planipennis

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: • The emerald ash borer (EAB) Agrilus planipennis is spreading to Europe from Russia. • Biological control offers sustainable solutions to control invasive pests. • In Europe, parasitoids of species of the genus Agrilus may adopt EAB. • We conducted a literature review of European parasitoids of Agrilus spp. • Sixty-four parasitoid species attacking Agrilus spp. were recorded. The emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis , is a woodboring beetle native to East Asia. It is highly invasive in North America, where it causes large-scale dieback of American ash species, Fraxinus spp. EAB is also invasive in Western Russia and Ukraine, and it continues to spread towards Central and Western Europe where all three native ash species are susceptible. Biological control approaches offer sustainable solutions to control invasive pests. In North America, four Asian parasitoid species that have coevolved with EAB have been introduced to control the pest. In Europe, many species of the genus Agrilus occur, and it is likely that at least some of their parasitoids will adopt EAB as a host as it spreads across the continent. However, parasitoids of Agrilus spp., are very poorly known in Europe because of the difficulty of studying the parasitoid complex of these solitary wood boring insects. In this review, we provide a literature overview of studies and records of European parasitoids of Agrilus spp . to provide a basis for future studies on the emerging parasitoid complex of EAB in Europe. Parasitoid records were found for 24 European species of Agrilus . Sixty-four parasitoid species were recorded, mostly larval parasitoids. However, it is likely that several of them are erroneous host-parasitoid associations or misidentifications, and the biology of most species and their role in the population dynamics of their hosts has been poorly studied. It is recommended to conduct pre-emptive studies on these parasitoids and their suitability as potential biological control organisms with EAB.

Source: Biological Control

DOI: 10.1016/j.biocontrol.2024.105655

Authors: Marc Kenis, Michael Eisenring, Martin M. Gossner, M. Lukas Seehausen

Institutions: CABI Switzerland, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, ETH Zurich, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems

Language: English

Topic: Forest Insect Ecology and Management

Subfield: Ecology

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Life on land

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,850