Wood Moisture Levels Affect Xyletinus peltatus Infestations 1

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Abstract
Hatching of Xyletinus peltatus eggs was not significantly decreased by maintaining wood moisture (WM) of yellow poplar as low as 11.1 ± 0.2%, at ca. 54% relative humidity (RH). Low WM may greatly affect larval growth and survival, but effects vary with WM levels, age of larvae when WM is low, and how favorable wood is for growth and survival. In a favorable wood (yellow poplar), no larvae survived when WM was kept below 11.6 ± 0.7% at 59.1 ± 2.6% RH. When WM was below 12.4 ± 0.8% during the first 13 weeks after egg laying, significantly fewer young larvae survived than when WM was at higher levels. However, WM reduced to 11.9 ± 0.4% or lower for 13 weeks after larvae had already reached 3, 6, or 9 months old did not reduce survival. After 110 weeks, fewer beetles survived in wood maintained at reduced WM level (13.2 ± 1.2% for up to 13 weeks, 12.7 ± 0.8% for 14 to 74 weeks) than in wood maintained at 15.5 ± 0.8% or higher WM. Wood with the highest WM produced significantly more adults within 110 weeks than wood with lower WM. Reduced WM retarded larval development, thereby delaying adult emergence for at least a year.

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