Mediterranean oak borer (MOB) is a recent arrival to Oregon and California. Like other ambrosia beetles, it vectors several fungal species, some of which are pathogenic to various oak species in both its home and introduced ranges. In California, the insect/pathogen complex has been implicated in the mortality of several hundred, if not thousands, of valley oak trees in natural areas of Napa Valley and nearby Sacramento. In Oregon, MOB was first detected in a trap in 2018, and in 2022, MOB was confirmed in a dying Oregon white oak in Multnomah County. In 2023, over 30 large Oregon white oak trees in the City of Wilsonville were found to be infested. The pest status of MOB is still under evaluation. This presentation will cover the basics on MOB identification and detection, as well as provide an update to current management actions and how the private and public sector can survey and report suspected trees to state authorities.

Wyatt Williams has been with the Forest Health Unit of the Oregon Department of Forestry for 12 years as the agency’s Invasive Species Specialist. He received a PhD in Entomology from Colorado State University in 2012, where he studied evolutionary ecology of invasive plants and insect herbivores. Wyatt studied the behavioral ecology of Douglas-fir beetle in Idaho for his Master’s degree at Boise State University in 2007. He participates in the annual fixed-wing aerial survey for forest health in Oregon and conducts various ground surveys for invasive forest insects.  Wyatt lives in Salem.