2017 journal article

Effect of different headspace concentrations of bornyl acetate on fecundity ofgreen peach aphid and balsam woolly adelgid

SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF FOREST RESEARCH, 32(5), 397–405.

By: E. Bucholz n, J. Frampton n, R. Jetton n, D. Tilotta n & L. Lucia n

co-author countries: United States of America 🇺🇸
author keywords: Invasive insects; chemical biology; Fraser fir; Veitch fir; Adelges piceae; Myzus persicae
Source: Web Of Science
Added: August 6, 2018

Balsam woolly adelgid (Adelges piceae) (Hemiptera: Adelgidae) (BWA) is an exotic pest introduced from Europe to North America in the early 1900s. Subsequent introductions and spread have enabled this pest to infest native Fraser fir stands in the Southern Appalachians and become a troublesome pest for the region’s Christmas tree industry. Means to study its fecundity and control it are consequently of high importance. Headspace solid phase micro-extraction coupled with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry were used to compare chemical differences in stem tissue between a resistant species, Veitch fir (Abies veitchii) and the susceptible Fraser fir (Abies fraseri). Comparisons demonstrated that bornyl acetate (BA), a terpenoid, was qualitatively more abundant in resistant Veitch fir than Fraser fir. Varying headspace concentrations of BA were tested to ascertain any biological impacts on egg eclosion of BWA, as well as fecundity of green peach aphid (Myzus persicae) (GPA), an insect serving as a proxy. Varying concentrations of BA and a known number of adelgid eggs did not indicate any impact of concentration on egg eclosion success. However, defoliated Veitch fir branches in treatment jars produced a significant negative impact on BWA eclosion success. Implications of these findings are discussed.