A guide to Florida s common bark and ambrosia beetles

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "A guide to Florida s common bark and ambrosia beetles"

Caren Fields
6 years ago
Views:

and Conservation, 2 Entomology and Nematology Department

1 A guide to Florida s common bark and ambrosia beetles Craig Bateman 1 & Jiri Hulcr 1,2 1 UF/IFAS School of Forest Resources and Conservation, 2 Entomology and Nematology Department Images: J. Hulcr, T. Atkinson, C. Bateman, A. Black, or ForestryImages.org

2 This guide provides an introduction to the biology and identification of Florida s bark and ambrosia beetles. Contents (click to jump): What are bark and ambrosia beetles?...3 Where can I find the beetles?... 4 How to use this document..5-6 Species descriptions Important beetle morphology Additional resources

What are bark and ambrosia beetles? Bark and ambrosia beetles are a highly diverse group of forest insects. Most live peaceful lives inside dead or dying trees.

3 What are bark and ambrosia beetles? Bark and ambrosia beetles are a highly diverse group of forest insects. Most live peaceful lives inside dead or dying trees. Bark beetles live just under the tree bark, while ambrosia beetles live in xylem and eat fungi. The beetles help fungi reach normally inaccessible nutrients by burrowing into newly dead trees and together they begin the process of decay in the tree. Why do bark beetles matter? A few species of bark and ambrosia beetles, or fungi they carry, kill trees or cause major trees diseases. These diseases can cause major disruptions to forest ecosystems, and the loss of valuable wood and tree products. 3

or resin on the outside: Ambrosia beetles push

4 Where can I find the beetles? Bark or ambrosia beetles are found in every forest on earth. Trees with bark beetles often have brown sawdust or resin on the outside: Ambrosia beetles push whitish sawdust outside the tree, sometimes in the form of noodles, which can pile up underneath the tree: 4 You can trap beetles in a forest near you. Find out more from the Backyard Bark Beetles project.

All have elbowed (bent) antennae with a large round club at the end: antennal club

5 How to use this document First, check if you have a bark or ambrosia beetle: All are smaller than 1cm, and most are smaller than 3 mm. All have elbowed (bent) antennae with a large round club at the end: antennal club xyleborini.myspecies.info All have a large, round head, often partly hidden inside their pronotum: pronotum head 5

How to use this document Next, simply scroll through the slides to see what looks right. If there is a page for identifying a tribe or genus containing a species, use that first.

6 How to use this document Next, simply scroll through the slides to see what looks right. If there is a page for identifying a tribe or genus containing a species, use that first. If there s a word you don t know, check the morphology page by clicking the link in the upper right corner. If you think you have a match, check the ID characters using a microscope. tribe genus species That s it! Now you can compare your specimen to the following slides and see what you find. 6

7 Species descriptions of Florida s common bark and ambrosia beetles: Subfamily SCOLYTINAE Hylastini Hylastes salebrosus Hylurgini Dendroctonus terebrans Dendroctonus frontalis Ipini Ips avulsus Ips grandicollis Ips calligraphus Orthotomicus caelatus Pityophthorini Pityophthorus spp. Cryphalini Corthylini Monarthrum mali Gnathotrichus materiarius Xyleborini Ambrosiodmus spp. Cnestus mutilatus Euwallacea spp. Xyleborinus saxesenii Xyleborus affinis Xyleborus ferrugineus Xyleborus pubescens Xyleborus glabratus Xylosandrus amputatus Xylosandrus crassiusculus Xylosandrus compactus Subfamily PLATYPODINAE Hypothenemus spp. Myoplatypus flavicornis Euplatypus compositus 7

8 tribes Hylurgini & Hylastini Native Host tree: conifers Top of pronotum flat. Front edge of elytra curved and with rounded bumps/teeth. Bugguide.net 8

9 Hylurgini genus Dendroctonus Native Sometimes pests of live pines D. terebrans: Black turpentine beetle our largest bark beetle, 5-8mm. Head always visible from above. D. frontalis: Southern pine beetle tiny, 2-3mm. 9

10 Hylastini Hylastes salebrosus Native Primarily in pine roots Head mostly invisible from top (compare to Dendroctonus). 10

11 Ipini genus Ips Native Sometimes pests of pines Segments of antennal club wavy. Elytral declivity excavated and with large teeth. I. avulsus: mm I. grandicollis: mm I. calligraphus: mm 11

12 Ipini Native Host tree: pines Orthotomicus caelatus Antennal sutures (lines) curved inward. Elytral declivity less excavated than in Ips. 12

diverse The smallest bark beetles, no longer than 1.

13 Cryphalini (pygmy borers) genus Hypothenemus Native & exotic, many species, difficult to identify Host tree: diverse The smallest bark beetles, no longer than 1.2 mm Hairy or scaly. Very noticeable bumps or teeth on pronotum. 13

14 Pityophthorini genus Pityophthorus Native Host tree: diverse All small. Often hairy on the forehead. Antennal club small, flat, sutures curved. Layered curves on pronotum. 14

15 tribe Corthylini Native Host tree: diverse Eye deeply notched, ie: Elongate, especially the pronotum. Sides of pronotum with a fine raised line. Antennal club large, flat, with three clear sutures. 15

16 Corthylini Monathrum mali Native Host tree: broadleaf Elongate, especially the pronotum. Elytra shallowly impressed along the middle, deeply at declivity. 16

17 Corthylini Gnathotrichus materiarius Native Host tree: conifers Shining, no hair. Elytral declivity rounded and pointed at the end. Antennal sutures curved outward. Fine raised line on the top of pronotum. 17

18 Xyleborini Eye notched. Antennal club mostly type 1 and 2, sutures curved inward. Protibia wide and flat, and armed with teeth. Most of the ambrosia beetles! 18

19 Xyleborini genus Ambrosiodmus Exotic & native Host tree: many, diverse Wide, pointed scales covering entire pronotum. Steep elytral declivity. Ambrosiodmus lecontei Ambrosiodmus rubricollis Ambrosiodmus devexulus 19

20 Xyleborini genus Euwallacea Exotic Host tree: many, diverse Bulky, dark. Declivity gently sloped. 20

21 Xyleborini Cnestus mutilatus Exotic Host tree: diverse Largest ambrosia beetle in North America. Abdomen much shorter than pronotum. squished-looking abdomen 21

22 Xyleborini Xyleborinus saxesenii Exotic Host tree: many, diverse small knob Small knob surrounded by hair between pronotum and abdomen (all species of Xyleborinus). Antenna club type 1. 22

23 Xyleborini genus Xyleborus Exotic & native Host tree: many, diverse Elongate, mostly light-colored. Antennal club type 1 or 2. Posterocoxal process inflated (see below). 23

24 Xyleborini Xyleborus affinis Native Host tree: many, diverse Elytral declivity dull, opaque (not shiny) when dry, with small bumps. 24

25 Xyleborini Xyleborus ferrugineus/bispinatus Native. Two similar and difficult species, recently split from X. ferrugineus Host tree: diverse, often in pines A pair of large projections on elytral declivity. Usually dark red/brown. 25

26 Xyleborini Xyleborus pubescens Native Host tree: many, but primarily pine Very similar to X. affinis, but declivity shining, steeper, and more rounded. 26

27 Xyleborini Xyleborus glabratus Exotic (Redbay Ambrosia Beetle) Host tree: Lauraceae (redbay, avocado, sassafras ) Shining, dark colored. Distinctly pointed tip of declivity. Smaller than most Xyleborus. 27

28 Xyleborini genus Xylosandrus All exotic Bulky species. Antennal club flat, truncated. Procoxae separated (see yellow arrows). 28

29 Xyleborini Xylosandrus amputatus Exotic Host tree: broadleaf, but mostly unknown Truncated (cut-off) elytral declivity. 29

30 Xyleborini Xylosandrus crassiusculus Exotic (Granulate Ambrosia Beetle) Host tree: many, diverse Elytral declivity dull, opaque (not shiny) when dry, and without any large bumps. 30

31 Xyleborini Xylosandrus compactus Exotic (Black Twig Borer) Host: twigs of most broadleaf trees and some conifers Tiny, black, with shiny declivity Damage 31

Male declivity with two narrow, pointed projections.

32 Platypodinae Euplatypus compositus Native Host tree: hardwoods female Female elytral declivity blunt. Male declivity with two narrow, pointed projections. Female & male pronotum with two small pores. Very long leg segments (all platypodines). male 32

33 Platypodinae Myoplatypus flavicornis female Native Host tree: pines Female elytral declivity with blunt projections. Male declivity with a more sharply pointed projections. Very long leg segments (all platypodines). Female has mycangial pores, male doesn t male male male 33

34 Important beetle morphology Last slide viewed Abdomen Modified from Hopkins Contributions toward a monograph of the scolytid beetles. 34

35 Antennal clubs Last slide viewed Schematic types of antennal clubs of Xyleborini ambrosia beetles. 35

36 Additional resources Table of Contents Online Keys Bark beetle genera of the US Bark beetles of Louisiana Key to Xyleborini of North America Key to Xyleborini genera S. Bambara's bark beetles of SE USA Beetle Resources Backyard bark beetles: Trap beetles and contribute to a citizen science program! Interactive tool for identifying Damage by the Redbay ambrosia beetle Tom Atkinson's bark beetles of Southeast USA World's bark beetle pictures The Xyleborini taxonomy database xyleborini.myspecies.info: A collaborative ambrosia beetle database - you can join! 36

The forest beetles. you need to know about. The Southern Pine Beetle. Perspective Bark beetles Perspective Bark beetles

The forest beetles. you need to know about. The Southern Pine Beetle. Perspective Bark beetles Perspective Bark beetles The forest beetles The Southern Pine Beetle you need to know about The Southern Pine Beetle Ambrosia beetles Jiri Hulcr Jiri Hulcr Perspective Bark beetles Perspective Bark beetles There are about a) 5