Spread and Damage of Citrus Longhorned Beetle [Anoplophora chinensis (Forster, 1771) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)] to Hazelnut Orchards in Turkey

Abstract

Turkey is the largest hazelnut producer, and the Trabzon is one of the important provinces with an annual production of 47.000 tons. The citrus longhorned beetle [Anoplophora chinensis (Forster, 1771) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)] is not an indigenous pest to Turkey. It is a poliphagous woodboring beetle with a large host range including ornamental plants and fruit trees such as Citrus and Corylus. The insect was intercepted for the first time on maple and willow plants in a nursery in Istanbul in 2014. Domestic trade of those plants caused the spread of the insect from Istanbul to Trabzon in 2016. Since then, the insect has been spreading at speed in villages of Maçka district. However, the spread of the insect could have not been prevented. The insect was detected in 250 ha in 2020, but the area enlarged to 409 ha in 2021. Quarantine measures and eradication studies have been applied in the region that chemicals were sprayed and infested plants were destroyed. Currently, hazelnut orchards of 286 ha were dismantled and more than 172,000 ocaks were removed and destroyed in Akmescit, Alaçam, Armağan, Bahçekaya, Durali, Esiroğlu, Günay, Hızarlı, Işıklar, Öğütlü and Temelli villages. To compensate the losses, objective yield estimates were made by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry officials and 2.6 $ per kg was set to pay to the growers for the period of 4 years. By the end of 2021, 539 growers were paid of about 1.975,000 $ for compensation. Although the infestation and the spread of the insect is monitored it poses a real threat to hazelnut sector in the Black Sea region.