Polydrusus aeratus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae): a potential pest of young coniferous stands

Abstract

Abstract Polydrusus aeratus Gravenhorst, 1807 is a pest of both coniferous and deciduous trees in forests. It is widespread throughout the Czech Republic from the lowlands to the mountains. Adult beetles occur from April to September. In the western Czech Republic, a number of 1- to 2-m tall Abies alba were recently damaged by P. aeratus adults at an altitude of 750 m. P. aeratus can damage older saplings that were damaged as young saplings by the pine weevil. The damage caused by P. aeratus is so for rather small but should not be neglected by foresters. As the ongoing climate change modifies the relationship between trees and pests, also currently indifferent species may become dangerous for forests in near feature. Therefore, scientists would focus also on relatively less dangerous species of pests, especially insects. Possible methods for controlling of P. aeratus are suggested as main output of the study.