The primary purpose is to provide information that will help plant protection and quarantine (PPQ) develop detection methods and plan for detection surveys for invasive wood borers from multiple asian…

The Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service awarded the University of Florida $152,469 in a Cooperative Agreement (AP26PPQST00C056) effective September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2027 to field-test lures and detection methods for invasive bark and ambrosia beetles from Asian countries that threaten American pine and oak commodities.

The University of Florida will conduct field trials of five lure formulations approved under the 2025 National Priority Pests methods: alpha-pinene UHR lure, ethanol lure, IPS lure (cis-verbenol, ipsdienol, 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol), Megaplatypus mutatus lure (sulcatone, 3-pentanol, sulcatol), Platypus quercivorus lure (quercivorol), and blank traps for statistical control. The award deliverables include a report identifying which emerging, currently unstudied bark and ambrosia beetles will be captured by existing lures; a report on species likely to escape detection; lure efficacy study results; and a plain-language summary report for forestry stakeholders, policymakers, and state-level partners addressing readiness for detection of emerging pests and their potential catastrophic impact on American forestry.

Work is performed in Florida. The recipient passes $5,000 sub-awards to three organizations in Asia—Vietnamese Academy of Forest Sciences, Universitas Brawijaya (East Java), and Badan Riset Inovasi Nasional (BRIN, West Java)—each as sole source, for trap assembly, lure receipt and customs clearance, field deployment assistance, sample collection assistance, sample presorting, and bait tree preparation support.

Activities

Lures from the 2025 approved methods for national priority pests will be field tested: alpha-pinene UHR lure, ethanol lure, IPS lure (CIS-verbenol, ipsdienol, 2METHYL-3-buten-2-OL), megaplatypus mutatus lure (sulcatone, 3-pentanol, sulcatol), platypus quercivorus lure (quercivorol), blank trap for statistical purposes. Deliverables and expected outcomes: a report clarifying which emerging but currently unstudied bark and ambrosia beetles on key american tree commodities (pines and oaks) in asia will be captured by currently used lures. A report on which species are likely to escape detection. A summary report for forestry and landowner stakeholders, policy development, and state-level stakeholders, on the critical importance of readiness for the detection of emerging pests, given their potential catastrophic impact on american forestry. Results of lure efficacy studies. Intended beneficiary(IES): a report in plain language that animal and plant health inspection service (aphis) can deliver to forestry and landowner stakeholders, policy development, and state-level stakeholders, on the critical importance of readiness for the detection of emerging pests, given their potential catastrophic impact on american forestry.

Subrecipient activities

3 contracts with: vietnamese academy of forest sciences (sole source), universitas BRA wijaya, east java (sole source) and badan riset inovasi nacional (brin, indonesia's central research administration), west java (sole source). $5000 for each contract is needed for: assembling traps, receiving lures (including customs clearance), assisting with field deployment, assisting with sample collection, presorting samples, assisting with bait tree preparation.