Longhorn beetles as new pests for exotic plantations in Vietnam

Abstract

Longhorn beetles are important pests in commercial forests and exotic tree plantations worldwide, consequently leading to economic losses for timber producers and plantation owners. Acacia, Eucalyptus and Pinus plantations have been established widely in Vietnam for reforestation, wood products and paper industry. However, severe infestations of these three exotic trees have occurred due to longhorn beetles. The present study identified Coptops annulipes Gahan, 1894, Anagelasta apicalis Pic, 1925, Desisa subfasciata (Pascoe, 1862), and Cephalallus unicolor (Gahan, 1906) as four new longhorn beetles attacking Acacia crassicarpa in Quang Tri province, Eucalyptus hybrid (E. urophylla × E. grandis) in Bac Giang province, and Pinus caribaea in Quang Tri province, Vietnam. The infestation levels caused by C. annulipes, A. apicalis, D. subfasciata and C. unicolor were 16.8%, 29.5%, 39.2% and 24.3%, respectively. The damage indeces were 0.41, 0.85, 1.16 and 0.71, respectively. A. apicalis damaged at the base, C. annulipes and C. unicolor damaged at the lower trunk of host trees, D. subfasciata infested the top of trees. This information is expected to assist forest owners and government authorities across the country in pest surveillance and in developing suitable management plans for these four emerging pests.