Agritrap project : Enhancing Buprestidae monitoring in Europe

Supplements and detailed analysis of a paper submitted to Plos One :<br>Enhancing Buprestidae monitoring in Europe: trap catches increase with a fluorescent yellow colour but not with the presence of decoys.<br>Kuhn A*, San Martin G*, Hasbroucq S, Beliën T, Bonte J, Bouget C, Hautier L, Sweeney J, Grégoire JC<br>More details on the data structure and experimental design are provided in the pdf report.Abstract of the paper :This study investigated the efficacy of various traps differing in colour (green or yellow), presence or absence of decoys (dead <i>Agrilus planipennis</i>) or design (commercial MULTz or multifunnel traps, and homemade <i>bottle- </i>or <i>fan-traps</i>) for monitoring European Buprestidae in deciduous forests and pear orchards. Over two years, we collected 2220 samples on a two-week basis from 382 traps across 46 sites in Belgium and France. None of the traps proved effective for monitoring <i>Agrilus sinuatus</i> in infested pear orchards (17 specimens captured in 2021, 0 in 2022). The decoys did not affect the catch rates whatever the trap model, colour, buprestid species or sex. The fluorescent yellow traps (MULTz and yellow <i>fan-traps</i>) tended to be more attractive than the green traps (green <i>fan-traps</i> and, to a lower extent, multifunnel green traps). Most <i>Agrilus </i>species showed similar patterns in mean trap catches, with the exception of <i>Agrilus biguttatus,</i> which had the largest catches in the green multifunnel traps. Finally, we observed a high variation in catch rates between localities: the site explained 64% of the catches variance, while the tree within the site and the type of trap explained only 6-8.5% each. In many sites, we captured very few specimens, despite the abundance of dying mature trees favourable to the development of Buprestidae. For the early detection of non-native Buprestidae, it therefore seems essential to maximise the number of monitoring sites. Due to their cost-effectiveness, lightweight design, and modularity, <i>fan-traps</i> emerged as promising tools for buprestid monitoring. The study's findings extend beyond European fauna, as a preliminary trial in Canada suggested that yellow <i>fan-traps</i> could also improve captures of non-European buprestid species and catch species of interest such as <i>Agrilus bilineatus</i> (a species on the EPPO A2 list of pests/pathogens recommended for regulation in the EU).