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narrative_review·entomology, forestry, invasive_species_management, chemical_ecology·PMC10054519

A Review of the Host Plant Location and Recognition Mechanisms of Asian Longhorn Beetle

Insects · 3 authors, 1 centre

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TL;DR

This review catalogs 209 host plant species for the Asian longhorn beetle (ALB), a destructive invasive pest in North America and Europe. The authors summarize current knowledge on host kairomones, odorant-binding proteins (OBPs), and microbial symbionts, noting that while 143 olfactory protein genes have been identified, the function of most remains unclear. They conclude that ALB uses multiple cues (olfactory, visual, gustatory) for host location and recommend further research into host resistance mechanisms, microbial community influences, and visual cue recognition to improve monitoring and management.

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**Background:** The Asian longhorn beetle (ALB), *Anoplophora glabripennis* Motschulsky, is a polyphagous xylophage and one of the most serious invasive alien species in North America and Europe, causing substantial economic and ecological losses. In a widespread ALB outbreak, the potential economic loss could exceed USD 1 trillion, and approximately 35% of urban trees could be damaged across the USA. The gross potential impact from ALB introduction was estimated to have exceeded CDN 12 billion annually in eastern Canada. Current management strategies include biological control agents (entomopathogenic fungi, parasitoids), pesticides, and eradication programs, but each has limitations. The estimated cost of eradication programs was approximately USD 537 million between 1996 and 2013 in the USA. The authors aim to create a comprehensive host plant list, summarize relationships between host kairomones and OBPs, analyze trapping effectiveness, and provide a new perspective on host location behavior.

**Methods:** This is a narrative review synthesizing literature from 1992 to 2022 available in the Web of Science and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). The authors compiled host plant records and classified species into four sensitivity categories: High-sensitivity (HS) — complete life cycle reported as highly sensitive; Moderate-sensitivity (MS) — complete life cycle but not recorded as highly sensitive; Partial-sensitivity (PS) — part of life cycle completed without exit holes; and Low-sensitivity (LS) — only feeding or oviposition recorded. They also summarized data on host kairomones, OBP binding assays, microbial symbiont studies, and field trapping experiments.

**Key Results:** A total of 209 species (or cultivars) from 41 genera, 21 families, and 10 orders have been reported as ALB host plants. Approximately 75.12% of host plant species belong to six genera: *Populus* (41.15%), *Acer* (12.92%), *Salix* (9.56%), *Ulmus* (5.74%), *Aesculus* (2.87%), and *Betula* (2.87%). Of these, 101 species were classified as HS, 70 as MS, 11 as PS, and 27 as LS. In China, 78 HS, 63 MS, 5 PS, and 17 LS species were recorded; in North America, 16 HS, 9 MS, 7 PS, and 4 LS; in Europe, 17 HS, 4 MS, 1 PS, and 4 LS. Approximately 13 attractive and 9 repellent chemical compounds were identified for adult ALBs. A total of 61 OBP genes have been identified in ALBs, but binding assays have only been conducted for four recombinant OBPs (*Agla*OBP1, *Agla*OBP12, *Agla*OBP45, *Agla*OBP46), which show preferential binding to host volatiles including *cis*-3-hexen-1-ol, *δ*-3-carene, nonanal, linalool, and *β*-caryophyllene. Field trapping results remain limited: 42 beetles were trapped by 90 flight intercept panel traps from 23 July to 19 August in Harbin, China, and the recapture rate was 5.14% using male-produced pheromones in the 200 m range in Hebei Province. Mean trap catches ranged from 0.7–7 per trap per week using female-produced aldehydes and host kairomones. A mixed-forest management model reduced the percentage of damaged trees from 98.7% in 1976 to 3.8% in 1999.

**Clinical Implications:** The comprehensive host plant list provides a theoretical basis for selecting resistant tree species in mixed forests to reduce ALB damage. The limited field trapping effectiveness (recapture rates as low as 5.14%) indicates that current semiochemical-based lures are insufficient for operational monitoring or management. The authors propose that ALB uses a stepwise host location process involving long-distance visual cues (plant outline and color), close-range combined visual and olfactory cues (within 80 cm), bark contact chemoreception via legs and antennae, and final gustatory evaluation ("try to taste"). They recommend further research into host resistance mechanisms (particularly plant secondary metabolites like phenolic glycosides and flavonoids), microbial community influences on pheromone synthesis and detoxification, visual cue recognition including phototactic behavior and opsin proteins, and functional characterization of the remaining 57 untested OBPs to develop more effective trapping strategies.

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narrative_review

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entomology

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AI pipeline

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80% · B

ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10054519

A Review of the Host Plant Location and Recognition Mechanisms of Asian Longhorn Beetle

Insects

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ABSTRACT

Simple Summary The Asian longhorned beetle (ALB), Anoplophora glabripennis Motschulsky, is a destructive pest in its native habitat and one of the most serious invasive alien species in North America and Europe, causing substantial economic and ecological losses. In order to explore effective monitoring and management strategies, we summarize and create a comprehensive list of host plants, including 209 species (cultivars) that have been damaged by ALBs. Thus far, 143 olfactory protein genes have been found in ALBs. Host kairomones were preferentially bound to ALB recombinant odorant-binding proteins (OBPs), but the function of most OBPs is still unclear. Microbial communities may help ALBs degrade host plants. We analyzed the trapping effect of combined host kairomones and sex pheromones and found that trapping numbers are limited in the field. Therefore, we discussed host plant location behavioral processes from new perspectives and found that multiple cues are used to locate and recognize host plants. Overall, we suggest that further research should contribute to understanding the host resistance mechanism, microbial community influence mechanism, and visual cue recognition mechanism of host plants. This research may provide effective monitoring and management strategies for ALBs. Abstract The Asian longhorn beetle (ALB), Anoplophora glabripennis Motschulsky, is a polyphagous xylophage with dozens of reported host tree species. However, the mechanisms by which individuals locate and recognize host plants are still unknown. We summarize the current knowledge of the host plant list, host kairomones, odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) and microbial symbionts of this beetle and their practical applications, and finally discuss the host localization and recognition mechanisms. A total of 209 species (or cultivars) were reported as ALB host plants, including 101 species of higher sensitivity; host kairomones were preferentially bound to ALB recombinant OBPs, including cis -3-hexen-1-ol, δ -3-carene, nonanal, linalool, and β -caryophyllene. In addition, microbial symbionts may help ALB degrade their host. Complementarity of tree species with different levels of resistance may reduce damage, but trapping effectiveness for adults was limited using a combination of host kairomones and sex pheromones in the field. Therefore, we discuss host location behavior from a new perspective and show that multiple cues are used by ALB to locate and recognize host plants. Further research into host resistance mechanisms and visual signal recognition, and the interaction of sex pheromone synthesis, symbiont microbiota, and host plants may help reveal the host recognition mechanisms of ALBs.

CITATION EXPORT

Fei Lyu, Xiaoxia Hai, Zhigang Wang. A Review of the Host Plant Location and Recognition Mechanisms of Asian Longhorn Beetle. Insects. (2023). https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14030292

AUTHORS

3 · 1 CENTRES

Fei Lyu, Xiaoxia Hai, Zhigang Wang

Key Laboratories for Germplasm Resources of Forest Trees and Forest Protection of Hebei Province, College of Forestry, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, China

EDITOR / REVIEWER

Daniel Carrillo, Nurhayat Tabanca