Ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) are boring insects that inoculate species specific symbiotic fungi into the sapwood of their hosts. Some fungi are innocuous, but others are pathogenic and can kill plants in a short time. The detection, phenology and identification of the later and its management are the main objectives of this study. This project was funded in 2017 and 2019 but due to the phenology of these pests the start of the projects in each year of the funding lagged 1 year behind. The leads of this project are Drs. Villanueva, Viloria, Bessin and Dunwell.

So far sixteen ambrosia beetle species were captured, and eight of them were invasive. The invasive species Cnestus mutilatus (Blandford), Xylosandrus crassiusculus, Xylosandrus germanus, and Xyleborinus saxesenii were the most common and abundant species. The highest counts of these invasive species were recorded from April to May. In addition, we are reporting 13 bark beetle species captured in this study; among them, Phloeotribus dentrifrons and Thysanoes fimbricornis, are reported for the first time for Kentucky, whereas Scolytus multistriatus was the only invasive bark beetle collected. All these informations were published in:  

1. Viloria, Z. J., R. Bessin, P. O’Neal, C. Ranger, W. Dunwell, and R.T. Villanueva. 2021. Scolytinae in Nursery and Fruit Crops of Western Kentucky and Seasonal Population Patterns of Four Invasive Ambrosia Beetles. J. Entomological Science. 56(3): 374-386

In addition, insect efficacy test has been conducting during the last three years in Lexington and Princeton and we are in the process of writing a Manuscript. In 2020 and 2021 presentations on this topic were conducted in the Annual meeting of the Entomological Society of America and the North Central branch of the Entomological Society of America, respectively, the titles of these presentations are: 

1. Efficacy of Pyrethroid and Double MoA Insecticides Against Ambrosia Beetles for the ESA 2020
2. Using Apple Bolts to Test Insecticide Efficacy Against Ambrosia Beetles for the NC-ESA Branch in 2021