X-ray based computed tomography, a non-invasive approach in order to assess the damage caused by Lamprodila festiva of hidden lifestyle

Abstract

The cypress jewel beetle Lamprodila (Palmar) festiva is a wood-boring pest posing a major threat to the phytosanitary conditions of several coniferous trees. Its unprecedented European expansion has triggered serious plant protection concerns in several new habitats. Parts of Chamaecyparis lawsoniana injured by L. festiva were collected and analysed by computed tomography in order to study the dimensions of the cavities caused by L. festiva larvae as well as the larval positions. It is concluded that computer tomography representing a non-invasive approach is a promising tool for the visual depiction of the position and the physical parameters of the cavities formed. According to our experimental data, the penetration into the cypress caused by larvae and, inherently, its depth depends on the diameter of the branch. Additionally, the developing larvae appeared to keep distance from each other, which also depended on the diameter of the attacked branch. Our approach provides new data to the biological traits of the species. The main benefit that our imaging method furnishes is the exact, stress-free measurement method of the hidden developing stages. Its additional advantage is the indirect pest identification, which is based on the predetermined pest-specific damage characters.

A story of becoming a horticultural threat, cypress jewel beetle Lamprodila festiva (Coleoptera, Buprestidae): analytical approach of its European escalation based on bibliographical sources

“…Damage by the larvae in the trunk and branches causes some plant parts of affected coniferous trees to become chlorotic, turn brown, and eventually wither abruptly. The primary damage caused is larval tunnels, which are wide, flat formations between the bark and the vascular system (Keszthelyi et al 2022b). These tunnels are partially filled with food and excrement particles, preventing the plant's transpiration (Musolin et al 2022).…”