Attraction of different types of wood for adults of Morimus asper (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae)

Abstract

Morimus asper reproduces mainly in freshly dead wood and, as a consequence, populations are affected by modern forestry practices. The taxon M. funereus, now incorporated into the species M. asper, is protected by the Habitats Directive (Council Directive 92/43/EEC) and its monitoring has received attention in recent years. Larvae of M. asper are polyphagous, but some studies indicate that adults prefer the wood of some tree species. Freshly cut log piles, which attract adults, have been proposed as a monitoring tool. For monitoring programmes, it is essential to select the most appropriate wood and therefore the attraction of different types of wood for adults of M. asper was investigated in two sites in northern Italian, using freshly cut log piles. The first experiment was carried out in the Nature Reserve Bosco della Fontana (a lowland forest, Mantua province), testing two autochthonous species (Carpinus betulus and Fraxinus ornus) and two allochthonous species (Juglans nigra and Quercus rubra). The second study was conducted in the Parco Naturale Regionale delle Prealpi Giulie (a mountain area, Udine province), employing Fagus sylvatica, Fraxinus excelsior and Picea abies (all autochthonous species). The population of this area belongs to the taxon formerly named M. funereus. In both sites, adults clearly preferred the wood of some particular species: J. nigra at Bosco della RESEARCH ARTICLE Launched to accelerate biodiversity conservation A peer-reviewed open-access journalGiulia Leonarduzzi et al. / Nature Conservation 19: 135-148 (2017) 136 Fontana and F. sylvatica in the mountain area. This is the first study which compared the attraction of several tree species and it showed that this selection is important for the monitoring of M. asper.

Guidelines for the monitoring of Morimus asper funereus and Morimus asper asper

“…This experiment clearly showed that adults were observed more frequently on the wood of some tree species: most individuals were observed on Juglans nigra and the least attractive tree species was Fraxinus ornus ( Figure 8A), with Quercus rubra and Carpinus betulus being intermediary (Leonarduzzi et al 2017). …”

“…a total of 13 surveys) starting at 18:00h. This research is currently being published (Leonarduzzi et al 2017).…”

“…Fagus sylvatica was the most attractive wood, followed by Fraxinus excelsior and Picea abies ( Figure 8B) (Leonarduzzi et al 2017). …”

Linee Guida per il monitoraggio dei coleotteri saproxilici protetti in Europa

“…Gli adulti di M. asper sono stati cercati circa una volta a settimana dal 17.05 fino al 12.08.2016 (per un totale di 13 sessioni) partendo alle ore 18:00. I risultati di queste ricerche sono pubblicati da Leonarduzzi et al (2017).…”

“…Questo esperimento ha dimostrato chiaramente che gli adulti sono stati osservati più frequentemente sul legno di alcune specie di alberi: molti individui sono stati osservati su legno di J. nigra, mentre la specie meno attrattiva si è rivelata Fraxinus ornus (Figura 8A), con Q. rubra e C. betulus che mostrano un'attrattività intermedia (Leonarduzzi et al 2017). Figura 8.…”