Adult Movement of the Sugi Bark Borer, Semanotus japonicus (LACORDAIRE) in a Japanese Cedar Stand

Abstract

A mark-and-recapture study and a census of adult-emergence holes were carried out in a Japanese cedar stand at Tyunan-cho, Kagawa Prefecture in 1987 to clarify the characteristics and factors of adult movement of the sugi bark borer, The recapture rate on the same tree was 72.2% of all recaptures. Adults tended to be captured less on trees where more emergence holes were observed, and did not stay on trees with more than 12 emergence holes. Adults captured on trees near the edge of the stand, or which emerged late in the season, moved to other trees more frequently. About 28% of marked adults did not move to other trees during the season and the rate changed with the adult density per tree. The mean distance of movement was 13.94m with movement of females being significantly greater than movement of males. The frequency distribution of the movement distance indicated that there may be two movement patterns: short-distance movement and long-distance movement. There was no direction tendency. Male adults stayed on the same tree longer than females and the duration decreased with increased numbers of movements. The ecological significance of the movement pattern is discussed in relation to selection of trees most suited to larval survival.