Assessment of the ability for early detection of newly hatched larvae of Hylotrupes bajulus L. using the acoustic emission method in Scots pine wood

The acoustic emission analysis method was used to determine the activity of very young Hylotrupes bajulus larvae in their long-term development. In the laboratory conditions the simulated scenario of a fresh, intense infestation inside the construction wood was evaluated. The sounds generated by the insects during their feeding on the wooden samples were processed by the measurement system, which was able to detect and count the larva-originated sound pulses and calculate related energy. So far, no one has examined possibilities of detecting infant larvae of Hylotrupes bajulus L. This work is a continuation of research on the influence of the insect mass on its AE-based detection. The experiments performed with multiple wood samples analyzed through the period of one year have shown dependency between the mass of the larva and the intensity of the sound generated by them. The moment of the earliest possible detection of infestation in the wooden structure was evaluated. In the appropriate conditions (large number of young larvae inside the wood and optimal temperature) the insects reach the mass of tens of mg, which makes them detectable using the AE method.