Damage, Control and Management of Weevil Pests, Especially Hylobius Abietis

Abstract

“Bark And Wood Boring Insects in Living Trees (BAWBILT)”. The objective of this book is to present a synthesis of BAWBILT organisms, while providing a European focus. The ambition is thus more than a presentation of the biology of the European BAWBILT species. The book reviews and comments on all the European literature on these insects, while considering the biological aspects (trees, insects, associated organisms, and their relationships), but it also compares the available information and interpretations to those concerning similar species in other continents. Indeed, for several BAWBILT organisms, especially bark beetles, research is a global process, and studies, in parallel to the European ones, have often been carried out mainly in North America. As a consequence, although this synthesis is centred on the European species, numerous references from North American studies are cited. This allows important generalizations in the conclusions and the theoretical models. It also highlights specific differences in the European species, as well as the strengths and shortcomings of the European research. This comparative approach is more or less developed in each of the different chapters, depending on the topic concerned. Some chapters, although largely referring to the European species, present a synthesis of both European and North American species. Others, while presenting such a synthesis, make a comparison by directing attention to which results come from studies on the European or the North American species. Others, due to the European focus of the subject, deal with European results. After a section presenting the structure and the information sources of the BAWBILT group, and the characteristics of damage and control of the European BAWBILT organisms in general, the book is structured in four parts: bark beetles; weevils; buprestids and longhorns; non-coleopteran BAWBILT organisms. In each of these parts, a commented review of all European literature is done, under f approximately the same organisational canvas: taxonomy and phylogeny; general biology, life cycles and relations with abiotic factors; chemical ecology and host finding; host resistance; associated fungi; natural enemies. In each part, all factors of population dynamics, each corresponding to a particular chapter, are thus considered with their role, making unnecessary a special chapter on this subject. The general characteristics of the population dynamics are however presented in the chapter on general biology. The book ends with a concluding chapter presenting research needs and priorities for Europe. An index of scientific names is given. All chapters presented in this book have been peer reviewed by at least two independent reviewers prior to acceptance. The book is the result of a collective work gathering together all existing European competence, but it is not simply a collection of different chapters written independently by specialists. It is rather the fruit of a real collective synthesis in which all European specialists on BAWBILT organisms have participated. A CD accompanies the book. It contains a relational database gathering together all BAWBILT research papers (including some “grey literature”) published in Europe during the last 30 years as well as the most important ones that have been published previously. The references from other continents used for the synthesis are not contained in the CD but are included in the lists of references at the end of the different chapters. The CD also contains a series of colour pictures illustrating the different chapters.