Seasonal phenology of Sirex nigricornis (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) in Arkansas with implications for management of Sirex noctilio

Abstract The southeastern United States contains a multi-billion dollar pine timber industry that could be affected significantly by the establishment and spread and of Sirex noctilio F. (Hymenoptera: Siricidae), the non-native wood wasp that was discovered recently in the northeastern United States. Several factors, including the timing of native wood wasp (S. nigricornis F.) emergence and flight, may influence the success of S. noctilio. Understanding the seasonal phenology of the native wood wasp will allow us to make better predictions regarding the potential ecological impacts by S. noctilio on Arkansas pine forests. Native S. nigricornis females were collected across 3 geographic regions of Arkansas from 2009 to 2013 using intercept panel traps baited with Sirex lure (70/30-α/β-pinene blend) and ethanol. A Gompertz 3-parameter model was fitted to each year of trapping as well as a final dataset containing all trapping seasons. Emergence rates and inflection points of the models did not differ among ...