Host selection behaviour of the banded pine weevil, Pissodes castaneus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Abstract

Pissodes castaneus represents an emerging pest species for Pinus spp. production in Latin America. This species attacks all the cultivated pine species in Patagonia Argentina causing wood damage and tree death. The objectives of this work were to describe the host preference behaviour of P. castaneus and the influence of wood damage by conspecifics on its host selection. In two-choice bioassays, P. castaneus showed a feeding preference for Pinus contorta over P. ponderosa. However, percent weight gain when feeding on either species was similar. In other bioassays, P. castaneus spent more time in areas with twigs on which other conspecifics had recently fed, although they were able to successfully feed on twigs without previous damage. These results show that while P. castaneus can successfully colonize different pine species, P. contorta may be more susceptible to attack than P. ponderosa. Silvicultural management should be prioritized considering the weevil's preference for attacking damaged hosts.