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Species
Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins, 1902
IUCN
NCBI
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With the increase of temperatures due to global warming, mountain pine beetle larvae are now capable of living through winter in areas farther north that were formerly too cold for their survival. In addition, the beetles have moved to higher elevations. The expansion of the mountain pine beetle range due to global warming has resulted in damage to Pinus forests in previously unaffected locations.
Eradication efforts currently in place focus on short-term treatments, such as insecticides, long-term prevention, and landscape restoration. Specifically, larvae hidden beneath the bark are targeted with treatments such as stripping away the bark in order to expose the larvae to harsher environmental conditions. In addition, solar techniques can be used to heat up the phloem of the trees until they reach temperatures unbearable to the beetles. A great deal is being spent on these techniques in order to preserve the forest ecosystems that have been present for so long and that now run the risk of complete destruction.
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Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2013, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Dendroctonus_ponderosae/ |
Dendroctonus ponderosae is black and cylindrical and, on average, 5 mm long. The gradual curve of the hind wing of the adult D. ponderosae distinguishes it from other bark beetles that normally have sharp spines along the hind wing.
Mountain pine beetle eggs are normally white, while the larvae typically have white bodies and brown heads. The larvae are also legless, as they remain under the bark of the Pinus trees for the duration of their development and have no need for legs.
Range length: 5 to 7.5 mm.
Other Physical Features: ectothermic ; heterothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: sexes alike
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Forest Service. Mountain pine beetle. Forest Insect & Disease Leaflet 2. Portland, Oregon: USDA Forest Service. 2009. Accessed July 03, 2011 at http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/nr/fid/fidls/fidl-2.pdf.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2013, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Dendroctonus_ponderosae/ |
This species is a major forest pest throughout its range.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Copyright © 2015 University of Alberta Museums |
Source | http://entomology.museums.ualberta.ca/searching_species_details.php?s=4713 |
Type for Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins, 1902
Catalog Number: USNM
Collection: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Entomology
Sex/Stage: Female; Adult
Preparation: Pinned
Collector(s): D. Hopkins
Year Collected: 1900
Locality: Spearfish; S.D, South Dakota, United States
- Type: Hopkins. 1902. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Division of Entomology, new series, Bulletin. 32: 10.
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Rights holder/Author | This image was obtained from the Smithsonian Institution. Unless otherwise noted, this image or its contents may be protected by international copyright laws. |
Source | http://collections.mnh.si.edu/search/ento/?irn=9134064 |
Dendroctonus ponderosae is not an endangered species, nor does there seem to be any concern about conserving the species as a whole. In fact, due to the nature of D. ponderosae, the focus is shifted more to eradicating the pest and restoring forest ecosystems rather than maintaining the species.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: no special status
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2013, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Dendroctonus_ponderosae/ |
Windfall and weak or overmature trees with a DBH of more than 15 cm.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Copyright © 2015 University of Alberta Museums |
Source | http://entomology.museums.ualberta.ca/searching_species_details.php?s=4713 |
United States
Rounded National Status Rank: NNR - Unranked
Mountain pine beetles infest Pinus trees in western North American forests. While they can reach relatively high altitudes, their preference is for lower altitudes with suitable temperatures. Because instars (stages of larvae) of Dendroctonus ponderosae are susceptible to the cold, the beetles prefer to reside in areas with moderate temperatures. This limits the range of D. ponderosae with respect to both altitude and northern expansion.
With the increase of temperatures due to global warming, mountain pine beetle larvae are now capable of living through winter in areas farther north that were formerly too cold for their survival. In addition, the beetles have moved to higher elevations. The expansion of the mountain pine beetle range due to global warming has resulted in damage to Pinus forests in previously unaffected locations.
Mountain pine beetles preferentially infest trees that are under stresses such as injury or disease, fire damage, old age, and overcrowding. These trees are also the first to die. If the beetle population gets large enough, D. ponderosae will infest healthier Pinus trees in the area. As these trees die as well, entire populations of Pinus trees become kindling for fires that can have drastic effects on the forest ecosystem.
Range elevation: 0 to 3353 m.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: forest
- Leatherman, D., T. Mehall, I. Aguayo. 2007. "Mountain Pine Beetle" (On-line). Colorado State University - Extension. Accessed July 03, 2011 at http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05528.html.
- Logan, J., J. Powell. 2001. Ghost forests, global warming, and the mountain pine beetle (Coleoptera: Scolytidae). American Entomologist, 47:3: 160-172.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2013, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Dendroctonus_ponderosae/ |
Rounded Global Status Rank: GNR - Not Yet Ranked
In Alberta, this species feeds on Pinus albicaulis (White-bark Pine), P. contorta (lodgepole pine), P. flexilis (limber pine) and P. monticola (western white pine). It feeds on many other Pinus species in the rest of its range.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Copyright © 2015 University of Alberta Museums |
Source | http://entomology.museums.ualberta.ca/searching_species_details.php?s=4713 |