Host Preference by Monochamus alternatus (Hope) during Maturation Feeding on Pine Species and Masson Pine Provenances

Host preferences pine of the sawyer beetle, Monochamus alternates (Hope), during maturation feeding on 8 conifer trees and 40 masson pine provenances, were investigated using 3 types of laboratory bioassay of consistent feeding preference, feeding area and visitation frequency. M. alternatus adults have the highest frequency of feeding and prefer to feed on the branches of P. massoniana and P. densiflora and had significant host selectivity on 8 conifer trees in the area of Nanjing. The adult feeding visitation frequencies were 1 ~3 adults per branch. Maturation feeding areas were much larger on P. massoniana and P. densiflora than on P. taeda, P. elliottii, Juniperus virginiana and Cunninghamia sinensis. After initial selection tests, 12 provenances of masson pine had smaller maturation feeding areas. The second and third selection results showed that 12 provenances and six provenances also had consistent reductions in feeding by M. alternatus. The three provenances Fujian 2, Guangdong 5 and Guangdong