Reproductive Potential of Monochamus carolinensis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) with Respect to Pinewood Nematode Phoresis

Abstract

The pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Steiner & Buhrer) Nickle, and its cerambycid beetle vector, Monochamus carolinensis (Olivier), are symbionts developing within trie xylem of infested pines. The nematode is transported from infested trees to new host trees by Monochamus beetles. We investigated the influence of the number of 4th-stage dispersal juveniles carried per beetle on the reproductive potential of M. carolinensis. Fertility tables were constructed for 3 cohorts of M. carolinensis that differed only in the number of 4th-stage dispersal juveniles carried by individual adults upon emergence from logs in which they developed. Population parameters were compared among the cohorts. The intrinsic rate of increase and associated population parameters of beetles that carried a low or medium number of 4th-stage dispersal juveniles were consistently higher than those with a high number of 4th-stage dispersal juveniles, although the differences were not significant.