Pine Sawyer Beetle (Monochamus carolinensis) Feeding Preference on Eleven Pinaceae Taxa

Although not native to Kansas, pines (Pinus L.) grow and adapt quickly to various environmental conditions, which enhances their adaptability throughout the region. This resulted in an increased use of Scots (P. sylvestris L.) and Austrian (P. nigra J.F. Arnold) pines in Christmas tree plantations, windbreak plantings, and landscapes. Since first being reported in Kansas in 1979, pine trees in Kansas have experienced increased mortality due to the spread of pine wilt disease, a complex interaction consisting of the pinewood nematode [Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Steiner and Buhrer) Nickle] (PWN) and the vector, pine sawyer beetle (Monochamus spp. Megerle) (PSB). Choice feeding preference trials involving adult PSB (M. carolinensis Olivier) were conducted between 2011 and 2014 using eleven Pinaceae taxa: Austrian, eastern white (P. strobus L.), lacebark (P. bungeana Zucc. Ex Endl.), loblolly (P. taeda L.), loblolly-pitch hybrid (P. taeda x rigida Mill.), ponderosa (P. ponderosa P. Lawson & C. Lawson), Scots, and southwestern white (P. strobiformis Engelm.) pines and deodar cedar [Cedrus deodara (Roxb. ex D. Don) G. Don], concolor fir (Abies concolor Lindl.), and white spruce [Picea glauca (Moench) Voss]. One newly emerged PSB adult was placed into each feeding arena (n=150) containing three to four shoots of current season's growth from different tree species (one shoot per species). Adults were allowed to feed for 48 (2011) or 72 (2012-2014) hours, at which point plant shoots were removed and data collected on feeding occurrence and percent feeding area. Our goal was to determine if the PSB feeding preference trials would indicate non-preferred Pinaceae taxa alternatives for use in the landscape. However, augmented design analyses of feeding occurrence and percent feeding area for the eleven taxa did not indicate significant evidence for feeding preference of the PSB on most of the taxa with the exception of increased preference for both Scots and eastern white pines compared to deodar cedar. The feeding preference trials suggest that PSB may be more polyphagous thus allowing for host switching among Pinaceae taxa.