Non-target Bark Beetles in Ips duplicatus (Sahlberg) Pheromone Traps Baited with Host Volatiles

Response of several non-target bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) to different combinations of the northern spruce bark beetles synthetic pheromone with the monoterpenes (-)-alpha-pinene and (+)-limonene has been studied in choice experiments in the field with flight barrier traps. The experiments were organized in four Norway spruce stands (40-50 years old) outside its natural area, in the north-east of Romania, where Ips duplicatus (Sahlberg) populations had reached an epidemical level. Each experiment had five treatments randomly replicated in six blocks within each experimental plot. Four non-target bark beetle species were captured together with Ips duplicatus: I. typographus (L.) (2611 beetles), Pityogenes chalcographus (L.) (184 beetles), Hylastes cunicularius Erichson (107 beetles) and Dryocoetes autographus (Ratzeburg) (24 beetles), representing 1.77%, 0.13%, 0.07% and 0.02% respectively of total captures. Beetles of I. typographus were attracted by synthetic pheromone blend of I. duplicatus and have intensified their response in the presence of (-)-alpha-pinene or a combination between (-)-alpha-pinene and (+)-limonene, but the other species have been captured in the traps accidentally. The positive response of I. typographus to the present formulation of I. duplicatus pheromone suggests the possibility to use the pheromone dispensers for both species in the same traps when mass-trapping is the main goal, but new studies should clarify the real effects of putting together pheromone dispensers of I. typographus or P. chalcographus with those of I. duplicatus

Invasive alien forest insect species in south-eastern Romania

Biological invasions in forest ecosystems are recognised as a global scale challenge. However, our current knowledge of invasive alien forest insect species (IAFIS) in Romania is still lacking and rather insufficient to support clear policies. The aim of this study is to contribute to a better understanding of the distribution of IAFIS in the Muntenia and Dobrogea provinces of Romania. For this purpose, direct observations and insect collections were made two consecutive years, in 76 locations. Of these, 67 sampling locations forming a long field observation route were visited only once, and nine sampling locations were fixed monitoring points with primed traps used in first year for regular collection of insects at 1-2-week intervals. Seventeen non-native forest insect species from five orders and 11 families were detected: Aproceros leucopoda, Cameraria ohridella, Corythucha arcuata, Cydalima perspectalis, Dasineura gleditchiae, Eopineus strobus, Euura tibialis, Gilletteella cooleyi, Hyphantria cunea, Ips duplicatus, Macrosaccus robiniella, Neoclytus acuminatus, Obolodiplosis robiniae, Parectopa robiniella, Phyllonorycter issikii, Prociphilus fraxinifolii and Xylosandrus germanus.  Eleven IAFIS species originate from North America, four from Asia and two from Europe. All detected species were previously reported from Romania, but eight species had not been recorded in these two provinces. Seven species live on native tree species, while 10 thrive on exotic trees or shrubs. The highest number of IAFIS was recorded in urban areas. Except for E. tibialis, all found IAFIS have a significant ecological or economic impact across invaded habitats. The risks posed by biological invasions need more thorough consideration that deserves greater attention and scientific support

Soil and saproxylic species (Coleoptera, Collembola, Araneae) in primeval forests from the Northern part of South-Easthern Carpathians

In 2006-2007 we carried out faunal investigations in the vernal, estival and autumnal seasons in the scientific reserve "Codrul Secular Giumalău" using quantitative sampling methods. We identified 189 species of Coleoptera, 70 of Collembola and 20 of Araneae. Of these, 11 phytophagous, 18 myceto/xylo-mycetophagous, 9 mixophagous, 18 xylo- and cambio-xylemophagous, 38 saproxylophagous, 125 (55 Coleoptera, 70 Collembola) detritivorous (sapro-, copro- and necrophagous), 60 (40 Coleoptera, 20 Aranea) predators/parasitoids. Hymenaphorura polonica Pomorski, 1990 (Collembola), and Leiodes rhaeticus Erichson, 1845 (Coleoptera, Leiodidae), are recorded for the first time in the Romanian fauna. The rare species and characteristic species for the old primeval spruce forests are analysed for each studied taxonomic group. The species richness and faunal diversity from the Giumalău primeval spruce forest are compared with those of other very well preserved forests from the Carpathians scientific reserves (Codrul Secular Slătioara, Pietrosul Rodnei). The species abundances were used to compute the similarity indexes between the sampled sectors of forest and to perform Cluster Analysis. We observed that the dead wood in the 2nd-6th phases of decomposition has a great influence not only on the saproxylic species but also on the soil fauna like ground beetles (Carabidae) that use the logs as ecologic microrefuges (winter refugees or diurnal refugees). The structure of the soil fauna is influenced by wood extraction from the forest ecosystem or by natural perturbations, this consisting in the appearance of opportunistic species as Orchesella pontica (Collembola) and in decreasing of species richness of Carabidae (Coleoptera).</span

The Database of European Forest Insect and Disease Disturbances: DEFID2

[EN] Insect and disease outbreaks in forests are biotic disturbances that can profoundly alter ecosystem dynamics. In many parts of the world, these disturbance regimes are intensifying as the climate changes and shifts the distribution of species and biomes. As a result, key forest ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration, regulation of water flows, wood production, protection of soils, and the conservation of bio-diversity, could be increasingly compromised. Despite the relevance of these detri-mental effects, there are currently no spatially detailed databases that record insect and disease disturbances on forests at the pan-European scale. Here, we present the new Database of European Forest Insect and Disease Disturbances (DEFID2). It comprises over 650,000 harmonized georeferenced records, mapped as polygons or points, of insects and disease disturbances that occurred between 1963 and 2021 in European forests. The records currently span eight different countries and were acquired through diverse methods (e.g., ground surveys, remote sensing techniques). The records in DEFID2 are described by a set of qualitative attributes, including se-verity and patterns of damage symptoms, agents, host tree species, climate-driven trigger factors, silvicultural practices, and eventual sanitary interventions. They are further complemented with a satellite- based quantitative characterization of the affected forest areas based on Landsat Normalized Burn Ratio time series, and dam-age metrics derived from them using the LandTrendr spectral–temporal segmentation algorithm (including onset, duration, magnitude, and rate of the disturbance), and pos-sible interactions with windthrow and wildfire events. The DEFID2 database is a novel resource for many large-scale applications dealing with biotic disturbances. It offers a unique contribution to design networks of experiments, improve our understanding of ecological processes underlying biotic forest disturbances, monitor their dynamics, and enhance their representation in land-climate models. Further data sharing is en-couraged to extend and improve the DEFID2 database continuously. The database is freely available at https://jeodpp.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ftp/jrc- opend ata/FOREST/DISTURBANCES/DEFID2/SIEC Joint Research Centre; European Commission, Grant/Award Number: 101059498; European Research Council, Grant/Award Number: 101039567; Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitalization of Romania; LifeWatch— POC project, Grant/Award Number: 327/390003/06-11-202

Eficacitatea a două insecticide în prevenirea atacului de Xylosandrus germanus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae), în condiții de teren

Xylosandrus germanus (Blandford, 1894) este un potențial dăunător pentru silvicultura, pomicultura și viticultura din România. Ca urmare, este necesară identificarea de soluții tehnice pentru evitarea unor eventuale atacuri. Obiectivul cercetărilor prezentate în lucrare a fost de a testa în condiții de teren eficacitatea a două insecticide care - în condiții de laborator - au dat rezulate promițătoare în prevenirea atacului. Cele două insecticide au fost Mospilan 20 SG (20% acetamiprid) și Laser 240 SC (240 g/l spinosad). În cadrul unui experiment organizat într-un bloc complet randomizat cu cinci variante și 24 repetiții, s-au testat insecticidele menționate în concentrație de 1% cu și fără adăugarea de adjuvant (Silwet Top, concentrație 0,3%). Emulsiile preparate cu produsele fitosanitare s-au aplicat pe suprafața unor segmente subțiri de tulpini de gorun (ST) prin scufundarea acestora în emulsii timp de două minute. Anterior trătării cu insecticide, ST fuseseră ținute timp de 24 ore într-o soluție apoasă de etanol 48%. Experimentul s-a desfășurat în perioada 31.05-24.08.2022, timp în care ST au fost verificate periodic pentru marcarea și înregistrarea intrărilor de insecte. La finalul perioadei, ST au fost transferate la laborator, unde au fost stocate în congelator până la analizarea amănunțită, prin secționare și despicare pentru a observa care era situația galeriilor și a insectelor din acestea. Pentru evaluarea eficacității tratamentelor s-au luat în considerare: numărul de galerii de X. germanus per segment (GST), numărul de femele de X. germanus cu descendenți per segment (FDST) și numărul de descendenți per segment (DST), iar pentru a vedea dacă tratamentele au avut eventuale efecte subletale s-a analizat numărul de descendenți per femelă și impactul tratamentelor asupra dezvoltării insectelor din ST.     Intensitatea atacului a crescut de-a lungul perioadei de experimentare, mai rapid în primele 16 zile și apoi tot mai lent, ajungând la final la 58,0 galerii/ST (mediana) la ST martor și la 32,0 galerii/ST la ST tratate doar cu acetamiprid, respectiv la 48,5 galerii/ST în cazul tratamentului cu sponosad. Tratamentele care s-au făcut cu amestec de insecticid și adjuvant au avut performațe mai slabe. Ca urmare, eficacitatea tratamentelor a fost cuprinsă între 50,7% (acetamiprid) și 9,3% (spinosad + adjuvant) după primele16 zile, respectiv între 41,5% și 9,4% la aceleași două variante. În ce privește FDST, valorile mediate au variat între 8,0 (la martor) și 3,0 (la acetamiprid și acetamiprid + adjuvant), dar diferențele dintre variante nu au fost asigurate statistic. Totuși, valoare cea mai mică (50,7%) a proporției femelelor cu descendenți din totalul femelelor găsite în galerii la finalul experimentul a fost la tratamentul cu acetamiprid + adjuvant și valoarea respectivă s-a deosebit statistic de cele de la celelalte variante. Valorile mediane ale DST au fost cuprinse între 23,0 (la martor) și 9,0 (la acetamiprid + adjuvant), sugerând o reducere consistentă cauzată de tratamente, însă diferențe dintre variante nu au fost asigurate statistic din cauza variabilității foarte mari a valorilor. În cazul numărului de descendeți per femelă mediana a avut aceeași valoare (3,0) la toate variantele, deși distribuțiile au fost diferite ca formă, iar dezvoltarea insectelor pare să fi fost frânată de acțiunea substanțelor cu care au venit în contact femelele. În condiții de teren, acetamipridul a avut o eficacitate doar cu puțin mai scăzută decât în condiții de laborator, dar spinosadul a avut o eficacitate mult mai redusă, chiar și numai după primele 16 zile. Adjuvantul Silwet Top nu a avut efectul scontat, ci mai degrabă unul contrar, de diminuare a eficacității tratamentelor

Natural volatiles impair the response of Hylobius abietis adults to synthetic attractants in Norway spruce clear cut areas

<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">For over 20 years it has been known that mature adults of Hylobius abietis are attracted by the combination of alpha-pinene and ethanol. However, it is not clear to what extent weevil response to these stimuli is influenced when large quantities of similar volatile substances are present in the environment, and how the response depends on the release rate of volatile substances from traps. Nothing that, in fresh Norway spruce clear-cuttings, the mature weevils were equally attracted to the traps baited with dispencers having different release rates, we assumed that the experiment results were affected by the abundance of natural volatile substances issued from the fresh slash, which masked the differences between olfactory signals released from traps. To verify this hypothesis, the experiment conducted in fresh clear-cuttings was repeated in exactly the same place after almost a year, when the overground slash were old. For seven weeks, at the beginning of growing season 2008, in two experimental areas, 6 different combinations of alpha-pinen and ethanol were tested using the traps buried in the soil. In both experimental area was captured about the same number of weevils and catch dynamics were similar. In the first two weeks of experimentation, when there were the highest captures, but also for the entire period of experimentation, there were significant differences between the tested variants in what concerns the average number of captures, the traps baited with dispenser providing higher release rate of ethanol and alpha-pinene having higher catches. This shows that in the first season of vegetation the weevil response to the attractants was affected by the profusion of similar volatile substances issued from natural sources (fresh cutt stumps, branches, foliage, bark etc.).</span

Xylosandrus germanus (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae) – un potenţial dăunător al pădurilor, livezilor şi viilor din România [Xylosandrus germanus (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae) – a potential pest of forests, orchards and vineyards in Romania]

The black timber bark beetle, Xylosandrus germanus (Blandford 1894), is a new species for Romanian fauna and a potential invasive pest in our forests, orchards and vineyards, but there is little information about it in our scientific literature. Consequently, a short synthesis of the knowledge concerning the biology, ecology, damages, survey and control of the pest, is presented for the foresters, as well as for owners of orchards and vineyards. Preliminary data on its distribution and flight activity suggest that the pest may already be present in many zones of the country and that would have a generation per year

Xylosandrus germanus (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae) – un potenţial dăunător al pădurilor, livezilor şi viilor din România [Xylosandrus germanus (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae) – a potential pest of forests, orchards and vineyards in Romania]

The black timber bark beetle, Xylosandrus germanus (Blandford 1894), is a new species for Romanian fauna and a potential invasive pest in our forests, orchards and vineyards, but there is little information about it in our scientific literature. Consequently, a short synthesis of the knowledge concerning the biology, ecology, damages, survey and control of the pest, is presented for the foresters, as well as for owners of orchards and vineyards. Preliminary data on its distribution and flight activity suggest that the pest may already be present in many zones of the country and that would have a generation per year

Soil and saproxylic species (Coleoptera, Collembola, Araneae) in primeval forests from the northern part of South-Easthern Carpathians

In 2006-2007 we carried out faunal investigations in the vernal, estival and autumnal seasons in the scientific reserve "Codrul Secular Giumalãu" using quantitative sampling methods. We identified 189 species of Coleoptera, 70 of Collembola and 20 of Araneae. Of these, 11 phytophagous, 18 myceto/xylo-mycetophagous,9 mixophagous, 18 xylo- and cambio-xylemophagous, 38 saproxylophagous,125 (55 Coleoptera, 70 Collembola) detritivorous (sapro-, copro- andnecrophagous), 60 (40 Coleoptera, 20 Aranea) predators/parasitoids. Hymenaphorura polonica Pomorski, 1990 (Collembola), and Leiodes rhaeticus Erichson, 1845 (Coleoptera, Leiodidae), are recorded for the first time in the Romanian fauna. The rare species and characteristic species for the old primeval spruce forests are analysed for each studied taxonomic group. The species richness and faunal diversity from the Giumalãu primeval spruce forest are compared with those of other very well preserved forests from the Carpathians scientific reserves (Codrul Secular Slãtioara,Pietrosul Rodnei). The species abundances were used to compute the similarity indexes between the sampled sectors of forest and to perform Cluster Analysis. We observed that the dead wood in the 2nd-6th phases of decomposition has a great influence not only on the saproxylic species but also on the soil fauna like ground beetles(Carabidae) that use the logs as ecologic microrefuges (winter refugees or diurnal refugees). The structure of the soil fauna is influenced by wood extraction from the forest ecosystem or by natural perturbations, this consisting in the appearance of opportunistic species as Orchesella pontica (Collembola) and in decreasing ofspecies richness of Carabidae (Coleoptera)