Dendroctonus brevicomis (Scolytidae)

western pine beetle

Adults:

Dendroctonus brevicomis, the western pine beetle, adult. Similar to Dendroctonus ponderosae. Length about 3 to 5 mm.


Larvae:

Similar to Dendroctonus ponderosae.

Damage:

Dendroctonus brevicomis, galleries. Adult galleries are very random: they wander up and across the grain and are much branched. The larvae feed out from the egg gallery. Inconspicuous pitch tubes and red boring dust are indications of attack. Parent females produce from 1 to 2 broods giving rise to overlapping generations. In B.C. there is usually from 1 to 2 generations annually.


Principal Hosts:

The main host in B.C. is ponderosa (yellow) pine.

Economic Importance:

This is a relatively minor pest in B.C., however, large areas of mature ponderosa pine have been decimated in California, Oregon, and Washington.

References and Links:

EAG: 491-498, 506-508; FC: 348.

See JP17.