GTBOP Moodle Matching Exercises

Understanding Tree Pests: Disease Interactions, Invasive Threats, and Management Strategies

Dr. Ignazio Graziosi — January 15, 2026

Source: Corrected SRT transcript (Stage 1) + Archive Package (Stage 2) Exercises: 3 Total pairs: 26 (8 + 8 + 10)


Matching Exercise 1: Pest Ecology and Interaction Scenarios

Timestamp Reference: 7:22 – 42:25 (spans all three case studies) Type: Species ID / Ecological Scenario

Instructions: Match each pest in Column A with the correct ecological description from Column B. Two items in Column B are distractors and will not be used.

# Column A Column B
1 Emerald ash borer (EAB) a) Non-native pest attacking non-native host; overlapping generations complicate control; trunk injection ineffective
2 Crapemyrtle bark scale (CMBS) b) Native pest of native trees; clonal urban plantings increase vulnerability; late-season damage less harmful
3 Orange-striped oakworm moth c) Non-native pest attacking native host; co-evolved natural enemies in Asia keep populations low; firewood spread primary pathway
4 EAB parasitoid wasps (from Asia) d) Generalist predators that arrive late in season; do not maintain sustained populations on host trees
5 Lady beetles (twice-stabbed, bigeminal, Harlequin) e) Specialist biological control agents introduced by USDA; attack only their target pest; two species target larvae, one targets eggs
6 Green lacewing f) Non-native pest of native pines; larvae create pitch tubes on trunk
7 White fringetree g) Commercially available predator of CMBS; larvae are the most voracious stage; adults need sugar to feed; requires multiple releases per season
8 Blue ash h) Alternate host in family Oleaceae; serves as population reservoir for EAB even after ash trees are gone
i) Native ash species showing some resistance to EAB; will die eventually but takes much longer than other ash species
j) Native parasitoid that specializes exclusively on CMBS in North America

Answer Key: 1 → c, 2 → a, 3 → b, 4 → e, 5 → d, 6 → g, 7 → h, 8 → i

Distractors: f (no pine pest discussed), j (Dr. Graziosi stated no effective specialist parasitoid for CMBS has been found in the US)

Source in transcript: EAB section ~7:22–29:40; CMBS section ~29:42–42:25; Oakworm section ~42:25–49:19


Matching Exercise 2: Control Methods by Pest

Timestamp Reference: 22:34 – 49:05 (control discussions across all three case studies) Type: Timing-Practice

Instructions: Match each control method or strategy in Column A with the correct pest and application detail from Column B. Two items in Column B are distractors and will not be used.

# Column A Column B
1 Soil drench for EAB a) Target young larvae (early instars); minimal impact on natural enemies; often requires reapplication
2 Tree injection for EAB b) Apply in spring before leaves emerge
3 Trunk injection for CMBS c) Requires professional applicator; effective delivery method for systemic insecticides into ash
4 Soil drench / soil injection for CMBS d) Not a viable option — crapemyrtle absorbs systemic insecticides through the trunk very slowly
5 Foliar soaps for CMBS e) Recommended chemical methods; multiple products and brand names available
6 Btk foliar spray for oakworm f) Used to target crawlers (young mobile nymphs)
7 Importation biological control for EAB g) Specialist parasitoid wasps from Asia introduced after USDA risk assessment; attack larvae and eggs
8 "Don't Move Firewood" campaign h) Prevention strategy resulting from EAB invasion; also helps contain Asian longhorned beetle
i) Apply systemic insecticide in late fall after leaves drop for maximum CMBS uptake
j) Biological control using native generalist predators that fully suppress EAB without chemical assistance

Answer Key: 1 → b, 2 → c, 3 → d, 4 → e, 5 → f, 6 → a, 7 → g, 8 → h

Distractors: i (no fall application timing was described for CMBS soil treatment), j (Dr. Graziosi stated native natural enemies alone are not enough for EAB and biological control has not been fully successful yet)

Source in transcript: EAB chemical control ~22:34–23:42; EAB biocontrol ~23:57–27:30; CMBS chemical control ~37:28–38:30; CMBS biocontrol ~38:31–41:44; Oakworm control ~47:56–49:05; Firewood ~13:02–13:46


Matching Exercise 3: Spiral of Tree Decline and Disease Triangle Concepts

Timestamp Reference: 1:28 – 6:06 (framework), applied throughout presentation Type: Timing-Practice / Concept Application

Instructions: Match each factor or concept in Column A with its correct classification or description from Column B as presented by Dr. Graziosi. Two items in Column B are distractors and will not be used.

# Column A Column B
1 Soil compaction a) Inciting factor in the spiral of tree decline
2 Defoliating insects b) Predisposing factor; described as "often the number one issue for many trees"
3 Wood-boring insects c) Contributing factor in the innermost spiral
4 Armillaria d) Contributing factor; a fungal genus in the innermost spiral
5 Genetic potential of the tree e) Predisposing factor in the outermost spiral
6 Drought f) The outcome at the center of the spiral diagram
7 Urban environment stress g) Predisposing factor; described as stressful for the tree
8 Nematodes h) Contributing factor listed alongside wood-boring insects and fungi
9 Death of the tree i) Inciting factor alongside defoliating insects
10 Urban heat island effect j) Stresses trees (increasing susceptibility) and accelerates insect development simultaneously
k) A predisposing factor that only affects conifers
l) An inciting factor that primarily affects root systems of aquatic plants

Answer Key: 1 → b, 2 → a, 3 → c, 4 → d, 5 → e, 6 → i, 7 → g, 8 → h, 9 → f, 10 → j

Distractors: k (no conifer-specific predisposing factor discussed), l (no aquatic plant context discussed)

Source in transcript: Spiral of decline ~3:02–6:06, blocks 40–68; Urban heat island ~36:42–37:21, blocks 363–368


Verification Checklist

  • [x] All terms, definitions, and relationships derived directly from the presentation
  • [x] No general textbook knowledge used — only speaker's content
  • [x] Matching items unambiguous based on presentation content
  • [x] Each exercise includes 2 plausible distractors
  • [x] Timestamp references verified against corrected transcript
  • [x] Answer keys correct and unambiguous per speaker's statements
  • [x] Coverage spans all major presentation sections