Plastic in the Galleries: Conceptual Micro- and Nanoplastic Particle Exposure During Xylophagy in Anoplophora glabripennis

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Abstract
Anoplophora glabripennis (ALB) is an invasive wood-boring cerambycid that causes extensive damage to hardwood host trees through sequential tissue penetration from the bark to the sapwood. Developmental biology of ALB is well established. However, interactions among its life cycle, environmental contaminants, and fungal associates remain poorly understood. In particular, the ecological relationships among microplastics, entomopathogenic fungi, and the fungal symbiont Fusarium solani (FSSC) within ALB-associated woody tissues remain largely uncharacterized. This review develops a conceptual anatomical framework integrating ALB developmental biology, fungal associations, frass deposition pathways, and potential microplastic interactions within woody host tissues. The framework was constructed through ecological literature synthesis and anatomical reconstruction. To our knowledge, this represents the first conceptual framework integrating ALB developmental anatomy, fungal symbiosis, and potential microplastic interactions within host tree gallery systems. A longitudinal cross-sectional model was developed to illustrate oviposition, larval gallery formation, pupation, and adult emergence in relation to the outer bark, cambium/phloem, sapwood, and heartwood. FSSC isolates previously documented on ALB egg surfaces following oviposition and within ALB frass were examined, thereby positioning the fungal symbiont both within and outside galleries produced by ALB throughout its life cycle. Previous studies have demonstrated that microplastics can be taken up by plant stem tissues and accumulate on the forest floor through atmospheric deposition. This widespread presence suggests that micro- and nanoplastics may penetrate sapwood and heartwood galleries through xylem and phloem flow. These transport pathways may overlap with regions where late-instar larvae actively forage. The integrative framework presented here highlights potential ecological interactions within the gallery microhabitat and provides a foundation for future experimental investigations into contaminant–pathogen–host dynamics in xylophagous insects. While we refrain from proposing specific management strategies, we present a conceptual framework to elucidate how microplastics may serve as incidental contact points for cerambycid anatomy and fungal propagules. We hypothesize that these interactions link microplastic pollution to invertebrate ecology. Microplastics may function as substrates for fungal spores within forest canopies and gallery systems, potentially influencing fungal persistence, contaminant transport, and ecological dynamics within infested forest habitats.

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