African Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer (PSHB) Monitorin...

The Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer (PSHB) are invasive wood boring beetles that attack numerous native and non-native trees in Southern Africa (and worldwide). These beetles mechanically damage trees by boring galleries in trunks and branches and carry a fungal disease called Fusarium Dieback, that they cultivate as a food, that kills branches and trees.

This beetle-fungus complex can affect hundreds of tree species in both urban and natural areas. Susceptible trees that become infected with the fungal disease are prone to branch dieback, canopy loss, and death. Once infected, susceptible plants take 1-5 years to die. Infested trees aid the spread to neighbouring trees. By moving wood (when removing infested trees, or as firewood) humans can drastically increase spread rate and distance.

Knowing where beetles have spread will assist scientists, conservation agencies and urban managers in monitoring and combatting spread. This project aims to detect early infestations by documenting observations of small (ball point pen tip-sized), round entry-holes on the bark, staining, gumming, presence of frass (thin sawdust), or sugary exudates.

This project is adapted from the highly successful iNaturalist Project: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/uc-anr-invasive-shothole-borer-ishb-monitoring less ↑