Biological Control of Elm Leaf Beetle    (View PDF)

Graham S. Thurston

Abstract: The bacterial insecticide Bacillus thuringiensis tenebrionis (Novodor-FC®) (Btt) protected elm foliage from feeding damage by elm leaf beetle larvae, Xanthogaleruca luteola, when applied to urban elms by mistblower or rotomist. Whereas untreated control trees lost up to 40% of their total foliage due to elm leaf beetle feeding in a 3-week sample period, Sff-treated trees suffered only 10% defoliation. The entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae, when incorporated into tree bands containing cellulose mulch, proved effective at killing high proportions of migrating larvae. The use of the bacterium and nematode together in an integrated program may effectively reduce elm leaf beetle populations, thus eliminating the need for chemical insecticides.

Keywords: Elm leaf beetle; entomopathogenic nematodes; Bacillus thuringiensis; Ulmus; Xanthogaleruca.

https://doi.org/10.48044/jauf.1998.020