Dendroctonus valens LeConte, 1860

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General Description:

This species has a reddish brown color, small punctures on the lateral parts of the pronotum, as well as small granules on the declivity. It can be distinguished from D. terebrans by its distribution as well as these characters.

Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/
Rights holder/AuthorCopyright © 2015 University of Alberta Museums
Sourcehttp://entomology.museums.ualberta.ca/searching_species_details.php?s=4717

Distribution:

This species is found in Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Northwest Territory, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan). It is found in most US states and throughout Mexico. It has been found as far south as Honduras and Guatemala.

Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/
Rights holder/AuthorCopyright © 2015 University of Alberta Museums
Sourcehttp://entomology.museums.ualberta.ca/searching_species_details.php?s=4717

National Distribution:
Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/
Rights holder/AuthorNatureServe
Sourcehttp://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Dendroctonus+valens

One of the most widely distributed bark beetle, the Red Turpentine Beetle is common in most coniferous forests from Northern Canada to Mexico, with the exception of the SE USA. It was recently introduced to China, where it is emerging as a damaging pest of native pines.

Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Rights holder/AuthorJiri Hulcr, Jiri Hulcr
Sourcehttp://www.americanscientist.org/issues/pub/how-a-fungus-boosts-a-beetles-invasion/1

Habitat:

Weakened pine and spruce species with a DBH of 50 cm or more; may also attack healthy trees.

Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/
Rights holder/AuthorCopyright © 2015 University of Alberta Museums
Sourcehttp://entomology.museums.ualberta.ca/searching_species_details.php?s=4717

Trophic Strategy:

This species feeds on a wide range of Pinus spp. throughout its range.

Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/
Rights holder/AuthorCopyright © 2015 University of Alberta Museums
Sourcehttp://entomology.museums.ualberta.ca/searching_species_details.php?s=4717

Known prey organisms:

Dendroctonus valens preys on:
Pinus

Based on studies in:
USA: North Carolina (Forest, Plant substrate)

This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.

  • H. E. Savely, 1939. Ecological relations of certain animals in dead pine and oak logs. Ecol. Monogr. 9:321-385, from pp. 335, 353-56, 377-85.
Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Rights holder/AuthorCynthia Sims Parr, Joel Sachs, SPIRE
Sourcehttp://spire.umbc.edu/fwc/

Known predators:

Dendroctonus valens is prey of:
Heteroptera
Platysoma parallelum
Thanasimus dubius
Temnochila virescens
Rhizophagus cylindricus

Based on studies in:
USA: North Carolina (Forest, Plant substrate)

This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.

  • H. E. Savely, 1939. Ecological relations of certain animals in dead pine and oak logs. Ecol. Monogr. 9:321-385, from pp. 335, 353-56, 377-85.
Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Rights holder/AuthorCynthia Sims Parr, Joel Sachs, SPIRE
Sourcehttp://spire.umbc.edu/fwc/

Cyclicity:

Flight period is from May to October. In warmer climates adults may fly all year.

Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/
Rights holder/AuthorCopyright © 2015 University of Alberta Museums
Sourcehttp://entomology.museums.ualberta.ca/searching_species_details.php?s=4717

Life Cycle:

This species will overwinter as partly grown larvae, or as young or mature adults. The adults will find the host tress some time after the primary attacker has attacked and weakened the tree. Egg galleries are variable. No egg niches are excavated, eggs are separated by frass. Oviposition begins in late May or June. Larvae will hatch within 10 days and then mine the phloem region in groups. The larvae will mine the phloem for at least two months. The larvae will mature and create pupal cells out of frass. Generation times vary by species. In the north a generation can take a year or longer, at southern latitudes 1.5 generations can be completed in a year.

Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/
Rights holder/AuthorCopyright © 2015 University of Alberta Museums
Sourcehttp://entomology.museums.ualberta.ca/searching_species_details.php?s=4717
Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith