Improving the early detection of alien wood-boring beetles in ports and surrounding forests

1. International ports are generally considered the most likely points of entry for alien wood-boring beetles. A better understanding of the factors affecting their arrival and establishment at ports and their surrounding areas is of utmost importance to improve the efficacy and the cost-effectiveness of early detection programmes. Our work aimed at understanding how port size and the characteristics of the landscape surrounding the port, in terms of forest cover and forest composition, influence the occurrence of alien wood-boring beetles. 2. From May to September 2012, 15 Italian international ports and the surrounding forests were monitored with multi-funnel traps baited with a multi-lure blend (α-pinene, ethanol, ipsdienol, ipsenol, methyl-buthenol), three in each port and three in forests located 3–5 km away from the port. We identified both alien and native Scolytinae, Cerambycidae and Buprestidae beetles. 3. Fourteen alien species, among which four are new to Italy, were trapped....