Grant: Engage Grants Program

The beech leaf-mining weevil, Orchestes fagi, is a common defoliating pest found throughout much of Europeon beech, Fagus sylvatica L. In 2011, O. fagi was identified causing significant damage to American beech,Fagus grandifolia, in Halifax, it's site of first introduction to North America.Populations of American beech extend throughout Canada and may be at significant risk if O. fagi is allowed tospread from the Halifax region. The weevil could spread throughout the range of beech in North America.Furthermore, during outbreaks in Europe, feeding by adult beech weevils has damaged the fruits of apricot,cherry, and apple trees, thus the weevil also poses uncertain risk to Canada's fruit industry. As a new invasivespecies to North America, there are presently no registered control products to manage this species.Through a collaborative partnership with BioForest Inc., we will investigate the use of TreeAzinenvironmentally-friendly systemic insecticide, as a means of 'vaccinating' urban Beech trees from attack by theBeech Leaf-Mining Weevil. This may provide a 'first-line of defence in 'slowing the spread' of this invasiveexotic insect pest. Furthermore, we will investigate the life history and host range of the Beech weevil todevelop a means of monitoring the spread of this species throughout North America, and to aid in the pest riskassessment for this species to damage and infest other important commodities in the region. This is of criticalimportance as infestations with O. fagi may impact transport and export of fruit commodities or forestproducts, should this pest become quarantined.