Infestation of Norway spruce seedlings by Cryphalus asperatus: New threat for planting of forests?

Abstract

Cryphalus asperatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) is described as an exceptional but important secondary pest of Norway spruce seedlings. Of the 10 000 seedlings transported to one location in the Ore Mountains, Central Europe in 2020, in total 1 500 seedlings were killed by C. asperatus. The infestation and death of seedlings probably resulted in part from the substantial local increase in the local abundance of C. asperatus after the sanitation felling of many Ips typographus-infested and otherwise damaged trees; the felled trees provided many branches suitable for C. asperatus feeding. In addition, the seedlings were probably stressed by the multi-hour transportation (probably drought) from the forest nursery.

Keywords

• bark beetle
• drought stress
• forest nursery
• scolytinae
• seedling mortality
• picea abies