Tomicus Piniperda (Coleoptera: Scolytidae): Is Shoot-Feeding Requires For Reproductive Maturation

Abstract

The pine shoot beetle, Tomicus piniperda (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), is a univoltine pest of pine in its native range of Europe and Asia. Tomicus piniperda is now widely established in the Great Lakes region and poses a potentially significant threat to other pine-producing areas in North America. An unusual aspect of the life history of T. piniperda is the extended period of maturation-feeding that takes place in the shoots of living pine trees and subsequent overwintering before adults reproduce the following year. We investigated the extent to which shoot-feeding is required by newly-emerged T. piniperda before introduction into Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris) logs and before any overwintering, in order for successful reproduction to occur. Tomicus piniperda F₁ adults successfully reproduced in pine logs in the laboratory after either no shoot-feeding or after 2 to 10 weeks of shoot-feeding. Thus, it is theoretically possible for T. piniperda to be multivoltine, yet it remains univoltine.

Citation

Poland , Therese M.; Haack, Robert A. 2000. Tomicus Piniperda (Coleoptera: Scolytidae): Is Shoot-Feeding Requires For Reproductive Maturation. Great Lakes Entomologist. Vol. 33 no.1 p. 9-15. (2000)