What Is It? The brown spruce longhorn beetle (BSLB) is a wood-boring insect native to northern and central Europe and western Siberia where it typically attacks stressed or dying spruce trees. This beetle does not pose a threat to human health.
Where is it from? The brown spruce longhorn beetle is an invasive forest insect from Europe that infests spruce trees. The brown spruce longhorn beetle was discovered in Halifax in 1999, but has been established in Nova Scotia since at least 1990. It likely arrived in wood packaging aboard container ships.
contaminated areas
Characteristics Adult brown spruce longhorn beetles have long flat bodies that are brown and red. The brown spruce longhorn beetle is an invasive species that measures up to 1-1.5cm long.
Strategies used to control invaderNatural Resources Canada scientists, and their partners, are developing tools to slow down the development of the brown spruce longhorn beetle. They discovered that the beetle uses an aggregation pheromone, which has led to an improved survey tool as well as some innovative control methods. Research trials have shown that aerial application of non-toxic bio-degradable pheromone flakes to infested forests disrupts the beetle’s communication and reduces mating success by about 50%. Effects beetle has on ecosystemThe longhorn beetle has a major effect on the spruce trees in the ecosystem. The beetle's larvae feed on the inner bark (phloem) of the spruce tree. Although the entire stem can be affected, the lower portion of the tree is typically the most heavily infested. A spruce tree can be killed if heavily infested with BSLB over a number of years. What we have learnedWhile doing this project on the brown spruce longhorn beetle we have learned that even the smallest species in an ecosystem can effect it dramatically. The longhorn beetle has devastated the spruce trees throughout Canada. http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/sites/www.nrcan.gc.ca/files/www/images/science/expert/species/speesp-6-400.jpg
video on longhorn beetle
What Is It?
The brown spruce longhorn beetle (BSLB) is a wood-boring insect native to northern and central Europe and western Siberia where it typically attacks stressed or dying spruce trees. This beetle does not pose a threat to human health.
Where is it from?
The brown spruce longhorn beetle is an invasive forest insect from Europe that infests spruce trees. The brown spruce longhorn beetle was discovered in Halifax in 1999, but has been established in Nova Scotia since at least 1990. It likely arrived in wood packaging aboard container ships.
Characteristics
Adult brown spruce longhorn beetles have long flat bodies that are brown and red. The brown spruce longhorn beetle is an invasive species that measures up to 1-1.5cm long.
Strategies used to control invaderNatural Resources Canada scientists, and their partners, are developing tools to slow down the development of the brown spruce longhorn beetle. They discovered that the beetle uses an aggregation pheromone, which has led to an improved survey tool as well as some innovative control methods. Research trials have shown that aerial application of non-toxic bio-degradable pheromone flakes to infested forests disrupts the beetle’s communication and reduces mating success by about 50%.
Effects beetle has on ecosystemThe longhorn beetle has a major effect on the spruce trees in the ecosystem. The beetle's larvae feed on the inner bark (phloem) of the spruce tree. Although the entire stem can be affected, the lower portion of the tree is typically the most heavily infested. A spruce tree can be killed if heavily infested with BSLB over a number of years.
What we have learnedWhile doing this project on the brown spruce longhorn beetle we have learned that even the smallest species in an ecosystem can effect it dramatically. The longhorn beetle has devastated the spruce trees throughout Canada.
http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/sites/www.nrcan.gc.ca/files/www/images/science/expert/species/speesp-6-400.jpg
http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/forests/insects-diseases/13373
http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/science/video/1431
http://www.nbforestry.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/2007-05-15.jpg
B3.5 Identify various factors related to human activity that have impacted on ecosystems (the introduction of invasive species) and explain how these factors affect the equilibrium in an ecosystem.
Answers to questions on topic.
Choses relevant and interesting pictures, videos, and links.
Spelling, grammar, neatness and organization.
Apply functions and capabilities of Wiki to page.