Dendroctonus brevicomis
Life stages of D. brevicomis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Infraorder: Cucujiformia
Family: Curculionidae
Genus: Dendroctonus
Species:
D. brevicomis
Binomial name
Dendroctonus brevicomis
LeConte, 1876

Dendroctonus brevicomis, the western pine beetle, is a species of crenulate bark beetle in the family Curculionidae. It is found in North America[1][2][3] and parts of Mexico.[4] It is known as a destructive pest of ponderosa and Coulter pine trees.[5] When drought makes these pines more susceptible to infestations by D. brevicomis, there is an increased risk of forest fires due to dead trees.[6]

Adult D. brevicomis are brown or black beetles 3–5 mm in length. Females carve lengthy egg galleries in the wood, damaging the trees.[5]

A black and white photos shows 3 slabs of wood showing heavy, medium, and light damage. The egg galleries look like winding tunnels in the wood.
Examples of D. brevicomis egg galleries in ponderosa pine

References

  1. "Dendroctonus brevicomis Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
  2. "Dendroctonus brevicomis". GBIF. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
  3. Valerio-Mendoza, O; Armendáriz-Toledano, F; Cuéllar-Rodríguez, G; Negrón, José F; Zúñiga, G (2017-09-01). "The Current Status of the Distribution Range of the Western Pine Beetle, Dendroctonus brevicomis (Curculionidae: Scolytinae) in Northern Mexico". Journal of Insect Science. 17 (5). doi:10.1093/jisesa/iex070. ISSN 1536-2442. PMC 5597856. PMID 28922899.
  4. 1 2 Will, Kip; Gross, Joyce; Rubinoff, Daniel; Powell, Jerry A. (2020). Field Guide to California Insects. Oakland, California: University of California Press. p. 265. ISBN 9780520288744.
  5. "Western Pine Beetle Kindles Fire Concerns in California". BioCycle. 44 (4): 53. April 1, 2003.

Further reading

  • Lobl, I.; Smetana, A., eds. (2013). Catalogue of Palaearctic Coleoptera, Volume 7: Curculionoidea I. Apollo Books. ISBN 978-90-04-26093-1.
  • Lobl, I.; Smetana, A., eds. (2013). Catalogue of Palaearctic Coleoptera, Volume 8: Curculionoidea II. Apollo Books. ISBN 978-90-04-25916-4.


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