Date of Award
12-2023
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Forest Resources (MFR)
Department
Forestry and Environmental Conservation
Committee Chair/Advisor
David R. Coyle
Committee Member
R. Talbot Trotter III
Committee Member
Jessica A. Hartshorn
Committee Member
Michael S. Caterino
Abstract
A new population of the Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis Motschulsky, hereafter ALB), an invasive species in the United States since 1996, was discovered in Charleston County, South Carolina in 2020. This population is the furthest south ALB has been found in North America and provides an opportunity to examine the phenology of this beetle in a novel climate. I collected 1009 eggs, larvae, pupae, and adult beetles from the federal quarantine zone in South Carolina and used larval head capsule widths to determine the rate of development and voltinism of ALB in South Carolina’s coastal climate. With this method I was able to determine that ALB in South Carolina appears to have a synchronous univoltine life cycle, in contrast to populations in the northern U.S. that typically develop in 1-3 years. Using this field data, I was also able to validate the accuracy of an ALB phenology model that had not previously been tested in a subtropical climate, and use the model to predict development rates for nine locations of varying latitudes around the U.S. The model predicted that several locations along the southern edge of the U.S. will have similar or even faster development than South Carolina, which could be concerning for management programs tasked with the eradication of ALB in the South, as well as northern programs that may see an increase in development rate as climate change increases temperatures.
Recommended Citation
Schmitt, Lena, "Phenology of Asian Longhorned Beetle (Anoplophora Glabripennis, Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in South Carolina, U.S.A." (2023). All Theses. 4197.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_theses/4197