Entomologia Generalis (2006) 29, 71-80

Pedro Miguel Naves, Susana Camacho, Edmundo Manuel De Sousa and José Alberto Quartau (2006)
Entrance and distribution of the pinewood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus on the body of its vector Monochamus galloprovincialis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)
Entomologia Generalis 29 (1), 71-80
Abstract: Aspects of the interaction between the pinewood nematode (PWN) Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Steiner and Bührer 1934) Nickle 1970 (Aphelenchida: Aphelenchidae) and its vector, the pine sawyer Monochamus galloprovincialis (Olivier 1795) were studied in Portugal, the only region where the two species coexist. It was found that, between January and July, third stage dispersal juveniles (J₃) were the most abundant B. xylophilus life stages on pine wood in general and near insect larval galleries and pupal chambers with pupae. On the pupal chambers with callow adults, the dispersal J₄ larvae were the pre-dominant life stage. The analysis of M. galloprovincialis ' immature stages shows that 11 % of insect larvae (mean of 2 ± 0.7 nematodes per insect), 17% of pupae (4.4 ± 3.4) and 91% of callow adults (1089 ± 1219) (mean ± SD for all) had pinewood nematodes on them. Two and 30 days after emergence, 40 adult M. galloprovincialis of both sexes were analysed for the distribution of the PWN on their bodies, with the vast majority of nematodes detected on the thoracic region, most abundantly on the meta-thorax. The body segments containing less nematodes were the antennas, legs, wings and elytra. The results are compared with other well-studied B. xylophilus-Monochamus associations from North America and East Asia, and the possibility of surging new functional interactions between the PWN and the European Monochamus spp is briefly discussed.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): Pedro Miguel Naves

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
transmission/dispersal of plant diseases

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Bursaphelenchus xylophilus		Portugal (continental)	Yes
	Monochamus galloprovincialis		Portugal (continental)