Ecological behavior of velvet longhorned beetle Trichoferus campestris (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), including hosts and phenology

Abstract

Velvet longhorned beetle Trichoferus campestris (Faldermann) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is a longhorned beetle native to eastern Russia and Asia. It has established populations in countries far beyond its native range, including the United States, but its ecological impacts remain unclear. The biology and behavior of T. campestris, such as preferred hosts and seasonal phenology, have not been thoroughly studied. Trichoferus campestris is thought to be polyphagous and univoltine, with a peak flight period in mid-summer, but few if any studies exist on these topics. Knowledge of these characteristics can assist with effective strategies for monitoring and managing nonnative species. Here, we investigate hosts and phenology of T. campestris. We quantify ovipositional preferences and larval/developmental performance using choice and no-choice assays comparing the suitability of material harvested from different tree species of the upper midwestern United States: black walnut, Juglans nigra; the ‘Honeycrisp’ apple cultivar, Malus domestica; sugar maple, Acer saccharum; and eastern white pine, Pinus strobus. We study differences in oviposition between Malus domestica branches with vs. without cankers as well. We complement these laboratory studies with catch data from field trapping experiments, analyzing trends among traps hung in various genera of trees. Finally, we used trap catch numbers and local temperature data to elucidate the phenology of T. campestris in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, USA in the summers of 2019 and 2020.