Long-Term Assessment of Selective Pruning of Quercus Species for Controlling Populations of Coraebus florentinus (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) in Mediterranean Forests

Abstract

Coraebus florentinus (Herbst) is one of the most important wood borer pests damaging oak species in Mediterranean forests. Recently, the effect of temperature on the pre-imaginal development of this insect was established, and predictive models of survival and emergence in relation to temperature were performed, which allow scheduled management techniques to be fit in accordance with the biological timing of this species. In this study, the effect of selective pruning of damaged branches of Quercus species for controlling the population of this insect is assessed. The study was carried out in three plots located in the Sierra Morena Mountains (southern Iberian Peninsula). In each plot, forest features were typified, and the parameters “infestation level” and “population intensity” were quantified. The assessment was performed one year and five years after applying selective pruning. The most effective time to prune was established according to the predictive model mentioned above. After one year, the results indicated that selective pruning just before adult emergence was effective in reducing the population size and controlling damage. After five years, this effect was still significantly manifested. In addition, the results show that selective pruning is effective even in areas with lower initial rates of infestation