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Research article2018Peer reviewedOpen access

Does the pine weevil (Hylobius abietis) prefer conifer seedlings over other main food sources?

Fedderwitz, Frauke; Bjorklund, Niklas; Ninkovic, Velemir; Nordlander, Goran

Abstract

Adult pine weevils (Hylobius abietis (L.)) feed on the tender bark of branches and roots of mature conifer trees and on the stem bark of conifer seedlings. Their feeding on mature trees does not cause any economic damage, but their feeding on planted seedlings is so devastating that the pine weevil is considered one of the most important forest pest insects in Europe. We asked whether the pine weevil prefers seedlings over other regularly utilized food sources. This question is of particular interest because new approaches to seedling protection are based on decreasing any preference for seedlings by using less palatable plants or by enhancing their defence (by genetic selection or by methyl jasmonate treatment). In a laboratory choice experiment we tested pine weevil feeding preferences for seedlings compared with branches and roots from mature trees (separately for Norway spruce and Scots pine). Pine weevils preferred roots, but not branches, of Norway spruce over seedlings of the same species. With Scots pine there were no clear preferences, but the weevils showed a tendency to prefer roots over seedlings. These results provide support for seedling protection approaches that attempt to redirect pine feeding from planted seedlings to other food sources.

Keywords

feeding preference; forest regeneration; herbivore; Pinus sylvestris; Picea abies; plant tissues

Published in

Silva Fennica
2018, Volume: 52, number: 3, article number: 9946
Publisher: FINNISH SOC FOREST SCIENCE-NATURAL RESOURCES INST FINLAND

      SLU Authors

          • Associated SLU-program

          SLU Plant Protection Network

          Sustainable Development Goals

          SDG15 Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

          UKÄ Subject classification

          Agricultural Science
          Behavioral Sciences Biology
          Ecology

          Publication identifier

          DOI: https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.9946

          Permanent link to this page (URI)

          https://res.slu.se/id/publ/96417