Laurel Wilt: Identifying Characteristics
Identifying the injury:
Affected trees display wilting crowns; foliage often turns reddish-brown and remains attached to dead trees (defoliation occurs on avocado). Blackish-brown vascular discoloration is evident on the sapwood (under the bark) of infected trees. Frass tubes and boring dust (signs of the redbay ambrosia beetle) are usually seen on and near dead/dying trees.
Identifying the insect vector:
Although the fungus is not readily visible to the naked eye, the redbay ambrosia beetle, vector of the disease, is commonly seen around affected trees. Beetles are very small – about the size of a small grain of rice and are black in color.
Susceptible trees:
Members of the laurel family (Lauraceae) including: redbay, swamp bay, sassafras, spicebush, pondberry, camphor and avocado.