Flatheaded borer in white alder landscape trees

Abstract

Flight of Agrilus burkei in California begins in late March or the beginning of April and lasts for 35-62 days. After emergence through the bark, adults feed for one week on the foliage; they live c12 days. The first egg mass is oviposited seven days after emergence. Hatched larvae penetrate the bark surface directly into the phloem tissues. The larval stage lasts from April-February of the next year. In March a pupa is formed beneath the bark and the new imago emerges. The apparent propensity of A. burkei to attack poorly growing alder trees suggests that white alders, Alnus rhombifolia, should be planted only in landscapes where moisture stress can be avoided or minimized. -Authors