Dendroctonus brevicomis
| Dendroctonus brevicomis | |
|---|---|
| Life stages of D. brevicomis | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Polyphaga |
| 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]
The beetle may cause mortality of 60 to 90 percent of host trees in some landscapes during an outbreak. One of the more recent notable outbreaks occurred in the central and southern Sierra Nevada Range in California from 2014 to 2017, causing the death of millions of ponderosa pines.[7]
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]
References
- ^ "Dendroctonus brevicomis Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
- ^ "Dendroctonus brevicomis". GBIF. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
- ^ "Dendroctonus brevicomis species Information". BugGuide.net. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ "Western Pine Beetle Kindles Fire Concerns in California". BioCycle. 44 (4): 53. April 1, 2003.
- ^ "Forest Insect and Disease Leaflet: Western Pine Beetle" (PDF). www.fs.usda.gov. February 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2025-08-01. Retrieved 2026-01-20.
Further reading