<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>The capability of a non-native species to withstand adverse weather is indicative of its establishment in a novel area. An unusually cold winter of 2016/2017 that occurred in the West Carpathians of Slovakia and other regions within Europe provided an opportunity to indirectly assess survival of the invasive ambrosia beetle <italic>Xylosandrus germanus</italic> (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae). We compared trap captures of this species in the year preceding and succeeding the respective cold winter. Ethanol-baited traps were deployed in 24 oak dominated forest stands within the southern and central area from April to August 2016, and again from April to August 2017 to encompass the seasonal flight activity of <italic>X. germanus</italic> and to get acquainted with temporal changes in the abundance of this species in these two distant areas. Dispersing <italic>X. germanus</italic> were recorded in all surveyed stands before and after the aforementioned cold winter. Their total seasonal trap captures were lower in the southern area following low winter temperatures, but remained similar in the central area. Our results suggest that <italic>X. germanus</italic> can withstand adverse winter weather in oak dominated forests of the West Carpathians within altitudes of 171 and 450 m asl. It is likely that minimum winter temperatures will not reduce the establishment or further spread of this successful invader in forests in Central Europe.</p>
</abstract>

The capability of a non-native species to withstand adverse weather is indicative of its establishment in a novel area. An unusually cold winter of 2016/2017 that occurred in the West Carpathians of Slovakia and other regions within Europe provided an opportunity to indirectly assess survival of the invasive ambrosia beetle Xylosandrus germanus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae). We compared trap captures of this species in the year preceding and succeeding the respective cold winter. Ethanol-baited traps were deployed in 24 oak dominated forest stands within the southern and central area from April to August 2016, and again from April to August 2017 to encompass the seasonal flight activity of X. germanus and to get acquainted with temporal changes in the abundance of this species in these two distant areas. Dispersing X. germanus were recorded in all surveyed stands before and after the aforementioned cold winter. Their total seasonal trap captures were lower in the southern area following low winter temperatures, but remained similar in the central area. Our results suggest that X. germanus can withstand adverse winter weather in oak dominated forests of the West Carpathians within altitudes of 171 and 450 m asl. It is likely that minimum winter temperatures will not reduce the establishment or further spread of this successful invader in forests in Central Europe.

Can the invasive ambrosia beetle <italic>Xylosandrus germanus</italic> withstand an unusually cold winter in the West Carpathian forest in Central Europe?

Department of Integrated Forest and Landscape Protection, Faculty of Forestry

Folia Oecologica

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Can the invasive ambrosia beetle  withstand an unusually cold winter in the West Carpathian forest in Central Europe?

The capability of a non-native species to withstand adverse weather is indicative of its establishment in a novel area. An unusually cold winter of 2016/2017...

Can the invasive ambrosia beetle Xylosandrus germanus withstand an unusually cold winter in the West Carpathian forest in Central Europe?

Published Online: Dec 30, 2021

Page range: 1 - 8

Received: May 26, 2021

Accepted: Aug 02, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/foecol-2022-0001

Keywords
black timber bark beetle, invasive species, overwintering, Slovakia, Xyleborini

© 2022 Marek Dzurenko et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Can the invasive ambrosia beetle Xylosandrus germanus withstand an unusually cold winter in the West Carpathian forest in Central Europe?

Published Online: Dec 30, 2021

Page range: 1 - 8

Received: May 26, 2021

Accepted: Aug 02, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/foecol-2022-0001

Keywordsblack timber bark beetle, invasive species, overwintering, Slovakia, Xyleborini

© 2022 Marek Dzurenko et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
black timber bark beetle, invasive species, overwintering, Slovakia, Xyleborini