Abstract
The American chestnut, once one of the most useful and abundant trees in the Appalachian Mountains, was almost completely destroyed with the accidental introduction of the chestnut blight fungus (Cryphonectria parasitica). Currently American, Chinese, and hybrid chestnut seedlings are being studied in the southern Appalachian Mountains for their field performance and resistance to the blight. Some of these plantings are sustaining notable insect defoliation. The Asiatic oak weevil (Cyrtepistomus castaneus) is suspected to be one of the main defoliators. This project assessed the amount of defoliation throughout the growing season on American, Chinese, and hybrid chestnut seedlings at two sites in the southern Appalachians. The study monitored the frequency of the Asiatic oak weevil occurrence on trees three times throughout the growing season. This research also monitored the abundance and emergence timing of C. castaneus.
How to Cite
Schlarbaum, S. E., Clark, S. L., Mayfield, A. E. & Case, A. E., (2013) “Frequency and Abundance of the Asiatic Oak Weevil on the American, Chinese, and Hybrid Chestnut in the Southern Appalachian Mountains.”, Capstone, The UNC Asheville Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship 26(1).
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