Effects of Sex, Age, and Body Size on Flight Performance of <i>Monochamus alternatus</i> (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), a Vector of Pine Wood Nematodes, Using Flight Mills

To understand the spread of the pine wood nematode <i>Bursaphelenchus xylophilus</i> (Steiner and Buhrer, 1934; Nickle, 1970) and identify infected trees, the dispersal ability of insects was examined. In this study, the effects of sex, adult age, and morphological traits on the flight p...

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Main Authors: Jong-Kook Jung, Chayoung Lee, Beomjun Jang, Youngwoo Nam
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Insects
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16/5/444
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author Jong-Kook Jung
Chayoung Lee
Beomjun Jang
Youngwoo Nam
author_facet Jong-Kook Jung
Chayoung Lee
Beomjun Jang
Youngwoo Nam
author_sort Jong-Kook Jung
collection DOAJ
description To understand the spread of the pine wood nematode <i>Bursaphelenchus xylophilus</i> (Steiner and Buhrer, 1934; Nickle, 1970) and identify infected trees, the dispersal ability of insects was examined. In this study, the effects of sex, adult age, and morphological traits on the flight performance (such as flight distance, time, and speed) of <i>Monochamus alternatus</i> (Hope, 1843) were investigated using flight mills. Over a period of 8 weeks, a total of 42 newly emerged adult beetles were tethered to flight mills once a week. Flight distance and time were recorded for 2 h during each session. The total flight distance of individuals that flew more than 100 m during each session was calculated. The results showed that females flew an average of 6.65 km, for 59.6 min, while males flew an average of 9.89 km, for 85.8 min. In a single flight experimental session, both sexes could fly up to approximately 2 km and were found to fly at an average speed of 1.9 m s<sup>−1</sup>. In our principal component analysis (PCA), the first and second principal components were found to be highly correlated with the sex, morphological traits, and flight performances of <i>M. alternatus</i>. This study demonstrates that the flight ability of <i>M. alternatus</i> varies significantly according to body size and sex, which is fundamental and crucial for understanding the dispersal patterns of pine wilt disease.
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spelling doaj-art-0fd86a661c0f4dfdbbaf42c32b288fac2025-08-20T02:33:50ZengMDPI AGInsects2075-44502025-04-0116544410.3390/insects16050444Effects of Sex, Age, and Body Size on Flight Performance of <i>Monochamus alternatus</i> (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), a Vector of Pine Wood Nematodes, Using Flight MillsJong-Kook Jung0Chayoung Lee1Beomjun Jang2Youngwoo Nam3Department of Forest Environment Protection, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of KoreaForest Insect Pests and Diseases Division, National Institute of Forest Science, Seoul 02455, Republic of KoreaForest Insect Pests and Diseases Division, National Institute of Forest Science, Seoul 02455, Republic of KoreaForest Insect Pests and Diseases Division, National Institute of Forest Science, Seoul 02455, Republic of KoreaTo understand the spread of the pine wood nematode <i>Bursaphelenchus xylophilus</i> (Steiner and Buhrer, 1934; Nickle, 1970) and identify infected trees, the dispersal ability of insects was examined. In this study, the effects of sex, adult age, and morphological traits on the flight performance (such as flight distance, time, and speed) of <i>Monochamus alternatus</i> (Hope, 1843) were investigated using flight mills. Over a period of 8 weeks, a total of 42 newly emerged adult beetles were tethered to flight mills once a week. Flight distance and time were recorded for 2 h during each session. The total flight distance of individuals that flew more than 100 m during each session was calculated. The results showed that females flew an average of 6.65 km, for 59.6 min, while males flew an average of 9.89 km, for 85.8 min. In a single flight experimental session, both sexes could fly up to approximately 2 km and were found to fly at an average speed of 1.9 m s<sup>−1</sup>. In our principal component analysis (PCA), the first and second principal components were found to be highly correlated with the sex, morphological traits, and flight performances of <i>M. alternatus</i>. This study demonstrates that the flight ability of <i>M. alternatus</i> varies significantly according to body size and sex, which is fundamental and crucial for understanding the dispersal patterns of pine wilt disease.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16/5/444pine wilt diseasevector insectspine wood nematode<i>Monochamus</i> beetlesflight capability
spellingShingle Jong-Kook Jung
Chayoung Lee
Beomjun Jang
Youngwoo Nam
Effects of Sex, Age, and Body Size on Flight Performance of <i>Monochamus alternatus</i> (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), a Vector of Pine Wood Nematodes, Using Flight Mills
Insects
pine wilt disease
vector insects
pine wood nematode
<i>Monochamus</i> beetles
flight capability
title Effects of Sex, Age, and Body Size on Flight Performance of <i>Monochamus alternatus</i> (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), a Vector of Pine Wood Nematodes, Using Flight Mills
title_full Effects of Sex, Age, and Body Size on Flight Performance of <i>Monochamus alternatus</i> (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), a Vector of Pine Wood Nematodes, Using Flight Mills
title_fullStr Effects of Sex, Age, and Body Size on Flight Performance of <i>Monochamus alternatus</i> (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), a Vector of Pine Wood Nematodes, Using Flight Mills
title_full_unstemmed Effects of Sex, Age, and Body Size on Flight Performance of <i>Monochamus alternatus</i> (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), a Vector of Pine Wood Nematodes, Using Flight Mills
title_short Effects of Sex, Age, and Body Size on Flight Performance of <i>Monochamus alternatus</i> (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), a Vector of Pine Wood Nematodes, Using Flight Mills
title_sort effects of sex age and body size on flight performance of i monochamus alternatus i coleoptera cerambycidae a vector of pine wood nematodes using flight mills
topic pine wilt disease
vector insects
pine wood nematode
<i>Monochamus</i> beetles
flight capability
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16/5/444
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