Association of Plagithmysus bilineatus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) and Phytophthora cinnamomi with the decline of ohia-lehua forests on the island of Hawaii

Author:

Papp, Richard P., Kliejunas, John T., Smith, Richard S. Jr., Scharpf, Robert F.

Title:

Association of Plagithmysus bilineatus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) and Phytophthora cinnamomi with the decline of ohia-lehua forests on the island of Hawaii

Periodical:

Forest Science

Year:

1979

Volume:

25

Pages:

187-196

Subject:

Metrosideros collina Trees diseases Root fungus

Summary:

An endemic cerambycid beetle (Plagithmysus bilineatus), and a widespread root fungus (Phytophthora cinnamomi), were two organisms that were associated with the decline of the ohia trees on the island of Hawaii. While both insects and diseases had been reported to damage ohia trees, and each played an integral part of the complex decline syndrome, neither organism appeared to trigger an epidemic decline of the ohia. As a result, the elusive "triggers" of the decline were not yet known. Here, these two organisms that acted independently were studied but attack by the cerambycid seemed to have been encouraged by rootlet mortality or crown loss that was brought on by unknown stress factors.

Label:

Botany - Ohia

Collection:

Periodicals