PEORIA, Ill., April 7 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say the chemistry of a tree pest, the emerald ash borer, can be turned against it in traps to monitor and control the tree-killing beetle.
Department of Agriculture entomologist Allard Cosse and his colleagues say a newly identified sex attractant, or pheromone, released by female borers can be used to lure male borers into traps to detect and gauge infestations so that quarantine areas can be established to contain them, a USDA release said Thursday.
The same research has also identified attractants for three parasitic wasp species that have been approved for release as biological control agents against the emerald ash borer, the said.
The researchers have developed an experimental pheromone formulation for one of the wasp species, Spathius agrili, which attracts males and females alike.
Establishing natural enemies such as the wasps could help slow down the spread of the borer, Cosse said.
The research has been a collaborative effort by the USDA's Agricultural Research Service, Forest Service and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
