Eggs
Traps baited with different mixtures have been proposed for detecting adults in the field during the summer months (Gong et al., 2013). Baited traps can also be installed around a site where wood ready for shipment is stored, and for early detection at official points of entry and potentially newly-invaded areas, such as stone fruit orchards. Synthetic pheromone blends of cerambycid beetles have been used to develop trap lures that simultaneously attract multiple species with interesting results in the USA (Wong et al., 2012). In another investigation, A. bungii was not listed among 71 cerambycid species collected in a tropical montane rainforest in southern China by means of traps baited with 10 known cerambycid pheromones (Wickham et al., 2014). Different blends could be tested on A. bungii to verify whether this option for pest surveillance could be considered in the future.
Detailed morphological description of the adult stage is given by several authors for easy identification of A. bungii from cogeneric species Aromia moschata ssp. ambrosiaca and A. orientalis (Plavilstshikov, 1934;Gressitt, 1951;Podany, 1971;Lompe, 2013).
Trees should be inspected, especially trunks and branches, for signs of larval tunnels. Frass extruding from holes in the trees is a sign of infestation (Liu et al., 1999;Garonna, 2012;Garonna et al., 2013;Nugnes et al., 2014a).
Related invasive species
- Aromia bungii
Related Farm Practice
- Pests
- Heartwood
- Damage
- Wood
A. bungii is native across the south-eastern Palaearctic and Oriental regions. It is recorded from China, Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam. A. bungii is an oligophagous species;its host range is largely limited to Prunus spp. Other host plants belonging to different families are reported in the literature, for example, from Ebenaceae (Shandong Academy of Environmental Science, 2009) and Salicaceae (Lei and Zhou, 1998), but sometimes with doubtful supporting evidence. In 2008 three adults of A. bungii were intercepted among wooden pallets in a warehouse in Bristol, UK, and during the same year the pest was intercepted in a manufacturing plant at Seattle, USA. In 2011, A. bungii was recorded for the first time from a host tree in Germany (Bavaria). In 2012, it was also reported in Italy (Campania) and in 2013 a new outbreak was found in Lombardia. In 2013 it was again recorded outside its native area, in Japan. Wood packaging material and nursery plants are potential pathways of accidental introduction.
Damage caused by young larvae of A. bungii can be identified by the presence of small galleries under the bark. Intermediate larval tunnels can be seen in both the sap wood and heart wood of the trunk and larger branches of healthy and unhealthy trees (Gressitt, 1942;Garonna et al., 2013). Considerable amounts of frass (small, cylindrical pellets of sawdust) are ejected through holes bored in the bark. High amounts of frass amassing at the base of an attacked tree may give a good indication of larval infestation. Moreover, the presence of adult emergence holes is sign of old establishment. Exit holes are elliptical in shape (6-10 x 10-16 mm). Several generations can develop within an individual tree, leading to its death. Localized symptoms on basal parts of the tree may be confused with attacks caused by other xylophagous pests. In Europe on Prunus spp. there are typical infestations caused by indigenous pests, like Capnodis tenebrionis, Cerambyx scopolii and Cossus cossus.
In China, A. bungii has mainly been recorded on Prunus spp. The major hosts are fruit tree species, such as apricot, cherry, peach and plum. There are records on other host plant species associated with A. bungii which require confirmation, for example, Diospyros, Juglans (Hua, 2002;Shandong Academy of Environmental Science, 2009), Populus, Quercus and Salix (Lei and Zhou, 1998).