Characteristics of Trees Infested by the Invasive Primary Wood-Borer Aromia bungii (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The red-necked longhorn beetle Aromia bungii is an invasive species that causes damage to Rosaceae trees. In introduced countries, tree damage by A. bungii in many regions, such as orchards, forests, and ornamentals, is a serious problem. Information about the characteristics of pest-infested host trees is helpful for efficiently finding and controlling this beetle. In this study, we investigated the characteristics of infested and uninfested ornamental cherry trees in the field, and speculated as to the traits that are important to infestation. As a result, host trees with rough surface bark, large in size, and weakened conditions are prone to damage by A. bungii. These findings aid in the selection of trees or locations to be surveyed for intrusion detection surveillance, where a high probability of damage can be found, among many candidates in intruded areas. Moreover, this knowledge is useful for prioritizing preventive measures for host trees that are more likely to be attacked in already invaded areas. ABSTRACT: The expanding distribution and tree damage of the invasive, primary wood-borer Aromia bungii (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), which kills trees of the Rosaceae family, is a problem in intruded areas. However, the tree characteristics associated with infestation by A. bungii, which are useful for early detection or prioritizing preventive measures, are not well examined. We investigated the presence or absence of tree damage (response variable) in pre- and post- surveys along with tree characteristics (four explanatory variables; bark roughness, size, species, and vigor) on monitoring trees in uninvaded sites (survey for the first trees to be damaged) and already invaded sites (survey for the next trees to be damaged). We evaluated the variables using generalized linear mixed models for each site (i.e., a first trees model and a next trees model). Three tree characteristics (bark roughness, size, and vigor) were included as explanatory variables in both best models, indicating that trees with rough surface bark, large in size, and weakened conditions were more susceptible to A. bungii infestation. The reasons for the difference between the two models (species was only chosen in the next trees model) will be considered in our future work.