Assessment of flatheaded borers infesting fruit and nut crops in Texas

Flatheaded borers in the genus Chrysobothris are generalist pests of trees including many important crops and ornamental trees. Typically, these borers attack stressed or dying trees and the recent droughts in Texas have made several fruit and tree nut commodities targets for infestation. Despite being in the range of two major Chrysobothris pests, the flatheaded appletree borer (Chrysobothris femorata) and the Pacific flatheaded borer (Chrysobothris mali), there has not been a survey of flatheaded borers that attack fruit and tree nut crops in Texas. For this study, we conducted a preliminary survey of flatheaded borers in three different agricultural commodities: pecan, peach, and persimmon using three different colors of tree pole trap (red, purple, and yellow). Through this survey, we hope to answer two questions: 1) what Chrysobothris species are present in fruit and tree nut systems in Texas? And 2) which trap color collects the most Chrysobothris beetles? These results will be expanded upon in future field seasons.