Effect of Two Bark Beetle-Vectored Fungi on the On-Host Search and Oviposition Behavior of the Introduced Woodwasp Sirex noctilio (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) on Pinus sylvestris Trees and Logs

Sirex noctilio’s fungal symbiont, Amylostereum areolatum, is required for its offspring’s development. The symbiont is a weak competitor with bark beetle-vectored fungi so it would be beneficial to the woodwasp if it avoided ovipositing in substrate colonized by these competitors. The response of S. noctilio to the presence of two beetle-vectored fungi, Leptographium wingfieldii and Ophiostoma minus, inoculated into living trees, and to L. wingfieldii and A. areolatum inoculated into cut logs was investigated. The wasp avoided areas with L. wingfieldii; there were fewer signs of oviposition activity and drilling in these zones. There was no significant response to O. minus or A. areolatum. Female woodwasps can detect the presence of some fungi and make choices about oviposition sites that benefit their offspring.