A Survey of Wood Borer Apate terebrans Tunnels on Terminalia mantaly in Nigeria with Special Reference to the Niger Delta Region

Abstract

This study was conducted to count Apate terebrans opened tunnels in Terminalia mantaly at the 3 Parks of the University of Port Harcourt. All trees were assessed visually for the presence and absence of tunnels, frass, and exudates during the 6-months (January-July) field survey in 2018. The mean numbers of tunnels/tree were 16.12±2.13 from 58 trees representing 19.9% of 291 total trees. The spread of attack was fairly scattered and more closely associated with diameter at breast height (DBH) of tree (χ2= 12.763, df = 4, α0.012*). While a majority (67.0%) of the trees experienced breaking reflecting both the immediate and residual impact of opened and closed tunnels, respectively, 10.7% experienced tearing of branches, and 5.5% experienced both breaking and tearing. Strong wind was found as a contributory factor to breaking and tearing. The findings suggest T. mantaly as a poor adaptable environmental species in Nigeria ecosystems and its current utilisation as ornamental tree may be revisited.