Taking Advantage of a Destructive Insect’s Weakness for Purple
By ANTHONY DePALMA
Recently, there has been an infestation of the emerald ash borer, throughout the United States. This little beetle from Asia has killed tens of millions of ash trees in less than a decade, so foresters have become proactive in their mission to stop this environmentally harmful pestilence. Since they were discovered near Detroit in 2002, the beetles have spread to 15 states and Ontario. They function by depositing their eggs in the diamond-shaped bark of all varieties of ash. The larvae then borrow under the bark and feast on the living tissue of the trees for a year or two, eventually cutting off the trees water supply and killing it. Foresters have also concluded that campers who unknowingly carry the infested wood have aided the beetle’s rapid advancement. Because of this, the ash borer has already spread so far that eradication of it is impossible. Now officials are focusing on slowing the spread of these beetles and saving as many ash trees as possible. One strategy that has been developed to achieve this goal is The Barney Trap. Rightly named for their bright purple color, 6,560 Barney Traps have been implanted in ash trees across New York. After extensive testing, entomologists at the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Serve have designed an effective trap for these harmful little bugs. By simply looking at the ash borer, scientists concluded that it was a visual insect. Victor Mastro, director of the project, explained that if human beings had eyes that were proportionally as large as the ash borer’s they would be the size of softballs. Therefore, his team then experimented with a dozen different colors to see which one attracted the most beetles. They found that deep purple was the beetle’s favorite. Next, with the color decided, the team had to settle on the right shape. Although four-side traps gave them the most surface area, they ended up settling on the more cost effective three sided traps. Finally, to enhance the traps ability to attract beetles, a chemical lure was added. Since these traps are relatively new, their effectiveness remains inconclusive, but foresters have high hopes that they will stop the onslaught on ash trees.
This ash borer’s effect on society on our society is profound. As Nathan Siegert said in the article, “right now, the emerald ash borer is the most destructive insect we have in North America.” The ash is a commercially valuable tree whose straight trunk and true grain make its wood perfect for furniture legs, baseball bats, and other products. It also makes great firewood. Therefore, if the ash borer continues to kill these trees we will loose very important resources that come from this tree. Moreover, the way the scientists have reasoned through the Barney Trap is setting a precedent for the future. Although foresters have relied on detection traps for years, they had not used it on the ash borer because they did not respond well to chemical lures. The Barney Trap, which relies mostly on its color and shape to trap the destructive insect, is new and innovative way to handle this situation.
Overall, I thought that this article was well presented. It did a good job of explaining the problem the ash borer poses to our environment in a direct and understandable manner. Moreover, it went through a detailed procedure of how foresters and entomologists created the Barney Box. Its inclusion of a picture also aided in understanding what the Barney Box was like. The article could have been improved if it had discussed how the bug got to North America. All it says is that it came from Asia, but it never explains how it got here. Moreover, the article could have explained the extent the Barney Box has assuaged the problem to date.
Ally did a wonderful job with this article review. It was clear, concise, and informative. She clearly explained what the ash borer was, and how it affected the ash trees. Ally made sure to go into detail about where the beetle lays its eggs and how the larva burrow into the tree, eventually cutting off the trees water supply. Another area that was particularly well presented was her explanation of the scientists outlook on the problem. The scientists know that the beetle is already too widespread to be completely eradicated, so the scientists are working on slowing down the spreading. Lastly, Ally was able to explain how the Barney Box is built and why the scientists decided on a specific shape.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that Ally could have done anything to make the review better. She pointed out what the article could have done better, which in turn, may have made her review better.
I was impressed by the results that the scientists collected from this article. Most insect traps are based on chemical lures, but this trap depends on the site of the bug. I found it interesting to know that this particular beetle has such large eyes that if humans were like it, they would have eyes the size of softballs!
This review was well written in that it provided sufficient information in a succinct first paragraph to understand the topic. Statistics were also provided, which is was a welcome help in understanding the threat of these creatures that I had never previously heard about. In the second paragraph she did a good job of explaining how this might personally affect me and the society I live in, which I would not have extrapolated from the previous paragraph on my own. I never knew all the uses ash trees are specifically used for: furniture, baseball bats, etc. However, she could have better proofread this section as some phrases were repetitive and some articles are missing. One point I was unclear on was the shape of the traps was discussed, the sides being important, but it did not explain how certain number of sides more effectively captures the bugs.
ReplyDeleteInvasive species are those that enter into an unfamiliar environment, use up natural resource, and kill off natural species in the process. Ally reported on a new invasive species in the U.S., known as the ash borer, which Anthony DePalma of the New York Times describes as rapidly growing in,”. In the article, DePalma speaks of the ash borer as an originally Chinese species that has now infected fifteen U.S. states, and Ally addresses other key facts about this situation. One point that Ally made in response to this article relates to the purple boxes that trap the ash borers. Ally says that because of the enormous eyes of the ash borer, the insects are particularly drawn to the deep “Barny-like” shade that contains chemicals to kill the bugs. Ally also discusses how the experiment is conducted with a three sides box, when it originally was to be done with four sided because of the greater surface area. Although the surface area was greater in this experiment, the process would cost more money. Thirdly, Ally mentions how this experiment will only be as successful as its results, meaning that if a lot of insects are attracted to the boxes and are held, then ash trees will be quarantined and dealt with. Yet, if the experiment does not work, then scientists must find another way to save the ash trees.
ReplyDeleteAlly touched upon the main points; however, she did not mention important aspects of the article. For example, Ally did not mention that the ash borers were brought over from China on wooden pallets. This information is important because it is helpful to know how the species entered the country so that further spreading can be hindered. Also, it is important to mention the d-shaped hole that the insect leave when they exit the ash tree because this clue might be significant in identifying where the species has extended, therefore determining whether the experiment has worked. This article was enjoyable because it investigated how scientists are currently finding new ways in which to stop a killer Chinese insect by using color.