Researchers manage to reproduce the mahogany borer insect in captivity

Scientists from the Forest Health Laboratory of the Colegio de la Frontera Sur (Ecosur) are advancing in the study of the mahogany borer insect, which they have finally managed to reproduce in captivity, with the aim of generating sustainable management and stopping the use of compounds. chemicals for its eradication, since this affects not only the environment, but also the pollinating fauna.

This is how he explained it to The Day Rebeca González Gómez, specialist in entomology and acarology, who is in charge of this study center in Ecosur.

He said that one of the pests that causes some of the greatest economic damage to tropical forests is the mahogany borer insect (Hypsipyla grandella); However, although it has been widely studied in Mexico, an effective management system for its control has not yet been developed.

The activities are limited to forestry work and applications of chemical products, which are not economically profitable. The plantations it affects are long-term crops and constant applications of chemicals are not viable. Furthermore, these substances cause damage to the ecosystem.reiterated the expert.

After several years of work, González Gómez’s team has made progress in the captive reproduction of this insect, which opens the possibility of progressing in its sustainable management.

Damage to the ecosystem

The mahogany borer is a small brown or gray moth with thin, fragile wings between 12 and 16 millimeters in length. It has a wide distribution on the American continent, from southern Florida, United States, to Argentina. In Mexico, there are records in the Gulf states, from Veracruz to Yucatán.

It usually attacks red cedar and mahogany, two species highly valued in the international market for the manufacture of fine furniture, doors, interior coverings, musical instruments and other luxury products.

These trees also have ecological relevance because they provide habitat for a wide variety of fauna, and due to their size and longevity they are relevant for carbon storage.

It is in its larval stage that it produces its greatest damage, as it pierces the terminal shoots of young plants to feed on the internal tissue, forming galleries within the trunks and branches. This causes the shoots to wither, become deformed or even die, which affects the growth of the wood.

Biological control

Although there are generally two or three larvae that attack the same bush, the tolerance threshold is lower; with one of these per tree the damage is severethe scientist stressed.

González Gómez mentioned that in the research center under his charge, where he works together with a team of scientists, he has undertaken a comprehensive and in-depth study of Hypsipyla grandella, which includes the analysis of the diet for breeding, the chemical communication of the insect with the tree, the natural enemies (parasitoids and predators), and the evaluation of the sex pheromone (the odor released by the female to attract the male) and the behavior of geographically distinct populations.

But one of the most relevant findings achieved in the experimentation center under his charge was to achieve the reproduction in captivity of the mahogany borer, since this allows providing living material to do more research and implement biological control practices.

In a period of five years, there are already 20 procreated generations, It is a difficult species to breed, but, after several attempts from 2019 to date, we have overcome that barrier.

He highlighted that one of the most important parts of the reproduction process was taking care of the population’s nutrition: You must have all the nutritional elements that allow optimal development.

They also placed emphasis on renewing their genetic material from time to time.

“It is common for specimens in captivity to reduce their size; So, when we identify that they are very small, we have to go back to collecting wild insects, and we ‘refresh’ the strain or colony that we have inside the insectary,” he explained.

In the laboratory, the larvae are kept in red cedar shoots, at 25 degrees temperature, 70 percent humidity and 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness. Afterwards, the pupae are separated by sex and transferred to 250 milliliter translucent containers. The adult specimens that emerge are transferred to mating chambers, with the same number of males and females.