Longhorn Beetle Study
Longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) make up a significant portion of the insects that break down dead and unhealthy woody plants. Which means they have an important role in nutrient cycling and maintenance of a healthy forest. Because longhorn beetle includes both beneficial and pest species, knowledge of their diversity and dispersal patterns is a valuable part in determining their roles in maintaining a healthy forest.
Our Ecosystem Steward, Anna Anderson, is working with Paul Baker from the Pee Dee Research and Education Center of Clemson University on a Survey of Longhorn Beetle Diversity. The goal of this project is to document the diversity of longhorn beetle in forest habitats along different ecoregions in South Carolina. Improving our knowledge about the longhorn beetle diversity and its relationship to phenology will provide insight into the ecological role of the longhorn beetles. The results of this study could also be used to monitor South Carolina’s forest from the effects of pollution, invasive species invasion, human intrusion, climate change, and various forest management practices. This study is a one-year survey.
There are three different traps we will be using. The first is called a sugar trap. This is simple and homemade, built from a plastic quart size soda bottle. Windows are cut into the side of the bottle and a sugary solution is made from dark brown sugar, molasses and yeast. It is poured into the bottom of the bottle and the bottle is hung by rope on a branch of a tree.
The second type is a black panel trap with lures, as known as pheromones. This trap is designed to take advantage of insect communication via Semiochemicals. The lures release specific pheromone compounds at a constant rate are attached along the inside of the panel trap.
The third is called a malaise trap. This is a flight intercept trap that captures insects as the fly across an open area of landscape. The insects fly into the mesh trap, then climb upwards, and are directed into the upper corner of the trap where they fall into a container filled with preservative solution typically ethanol (insert picture of malaise trap). Each trap is collected once a week and all species are sent to the Pee Dee Research and Education Center to be identified.
The study results will be shared at its conclusion next year. This research will contribute to forest management practices by improving knowledge about the beetles’ ecological roles.
