When people think about invasive insects, the narrative is often simple: They’re destructive and don’t belong.
For Allison Monroe, that framing leaves out an important part of the story.
“Invasive species get painted as villains,” said Monroe, who recently earned her master’s degree from Oregon State University’s College of Forestry. “But they didn’t choose to come here.”
Monroe studied the Mediterranean oak borer, a small wood-boring beetle that has emerged as a concern for Oregon white oak in the Willamette Valley. Native to parts of Europe, North Africa and western Asia, the insect has become established in Oregon in recent years, likely through global trade and movement of materials.
“These species are being transported by human systems and often lax regulatory frameworks,” she said. “Once they’re here, they’re just doing what they evolved to do.”
About the size of a sesame seed, the beetle is difficult to detect. It spends most of its life inside trees, where it tunnels into wood and cultivates symbiotic fungi as a food source. The fungi disrupt the tree’s ability to move water, leading to dieback over time.
One of the earliest visible signs is “flagging,” when individual branches turn brown while the rest of the tree remains green.
“Often by the time you notice symptoms, the beetles have already been there for a while,” Monroe said.
When Monroe began her research in 2023, scientific information about the beetle in North America was still limited. As part of her master’s work, she conducted an extensive literature review and helped synthesize existing knowledge to support research and management efforts in Oregon.
She also tested how the beetles locate host trees. In one experiment, Monroe used ethanol — a chemical released by stressed trees — to see whether it could be used to attract the insects into traps. While many wood-boring beetles respond to ethanol, her results suggested the Mediterranean oak borer may rely on additional cues.
“We caught very few beetles,” she said. “It shows there’s still a lot we don’t understand.”
Monroe’s work was closely connected to applied efforts in Oregon. She collaborated with the City of Wilsonville and state agencies working to better understand and respond to the beetle’s spread in oak habitats that are ecologically and culturally significant.
Her contributions earned her a 2024–2025 Student Award from the Oregon Invasive Species Council, which recognizes efforts to protect the state’s natural resources. Monroe was recognized for generating early data on the beetle’s presence and spread in the Willamette Valley, with a focus on identifying risks before widespread damage occurs.
For Monroe, the experience reinforced the importance of approaching invasive species with curiosity as well as urgency.
“It’s easy to label something as ‘bad,’” she said. “But these are complex organisms. If we want to manage them, we have to understand them first.”
Monroe is continuing her research on the Mediterranean oak borer as a Ph.D. student in Oregon State University’s College of Forestry, building on her master’s work to improve early detection and management strategies.