Impact of trap type, fluon treatment, and lure on the collection of longhorned beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in two forest ecosystems in subtropical southeastern Louisiana

The expansion of global trade in wood and wood packaging materials has increased the risk of unintentional introductions of non-native woodboring insects, which can cause considerable ecological and economic damage. Monitoring both native and exotic species in managed and unmanaged forests relies heavily on semiochemical-baited traps. Improving these survey efforts requires optimizing factors such as trap type, lure composition, and fluon application. However, concerns about fluon’s field durability in hot, humid environments, and potential future shortages remain unresolved.
We conducted a field bioassay to test the impact of these factors on the collection of longhorned beetles from July to November 2024 in an oak-pine and bottomland hardwood forest. We evaluated trap performance using 18 traps per site—including multi-funnel traps with and without fluon, and funnel trap II—deployed in 5-meter-spaced linear transects. All traps were baited with a six-component cerambycid lure and a low-release ethanol bag, with one trap per type serving as an ethanol-only control.
In total, 5,303 beetles representing 44 cerambycid species were captured. The majority belonged to Lamiinae (63.64%) and Cerambycinae (29.55%), with the lamiine Styloleptus biustus alone accounting for 65.53% of total captures. Fluon-treated multi-funnel traps caught ~6 times more beetles than untreated traps while funnel traps II captured ~1.5 times higher than multi-funnel traps. Overall, funnel trap II baited with both ethanol and cerambycid lure proved especially effective at the bottomland hardwood site. These results underscore the importance of trap design, fluon use, lure composition, and site-specific factors in optimizing survey for woodboring insects.