Bark beetles and pinhole borers (Curculionidae, Scolytinae, Platypodinae) alien to Europe

Abstract

Invasive bark beetles are posing a major threat to forest resources around the world. DAISIE’s web-based and printed databases of invasive species in Europe provide an incomplete and misleading picture of the alien scolytines and platypodines. We present a review of the alien bark beetle fauna of Europe based on primary literature through 2009. We find that there are 18 Scolytinae and one Platypodinae species apparently established in Europe, from 14 different genera. Seventeen species are naturalized. We argue that Trypodendron laeve, commonly considered alien in Europe, is a native species; conversely, we hypothesize that Xyleborus pfeilii, which has always been treated as indigenous, is an alien species from Asia. We also point out the possibility that the Asian larch bark beetle Ips subelongatus is established in European Russia. We show that there has been a marked acceleration in the rate of new introductions to Europe, as is also happening in North America: seven alien species were first recorded in the last decade.We present information on the biology, origins, and distributions of the alien species. All but four are polyphagous, and 11 are inbreeders: two traits which increase invasiveness. Eleven species are native to Asia, six to the Americas, and one is from the Canary Islands. The Mediterranean is especially favorable for invasives, hosting a large proportion of the aliens (9/19). Italy, France and Spain have the largest numbers of alien species (14, 10 and 7, respectively). We point out that the low numbers for at least some countries is likely due to under-reporting.Finally, we discuss the difficulties associated with identifying newly invasive species. Lack of good illustrations and keys hinder identification, particularly for species coming from Asia and Oceania.

First report of three scolytid species (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) in Romania

“…The discovery of this species in old forests at high altitudes, very far from the wood trade corridors, but not in forests at low altitudes where greater management activities and wood transport operations occur, might be an argument supporting the theory that T. laeve is Details concerning the collection of insects Table 3 Lateral view of Trypodendron laeve Figure 2 in fact a native species and not alien to Europe (Kirkendall & Faccoli 2010).…”

“…With the exception of the body size and certain generic characteristics, Xylosandrus germanus is in general terms morphologically similar to the indigenous Anisandrus dispar (Fabricius 1792). X. germanus, however, is an alien invasive species in Europe (DAISIE 2009, Kirkendall & Faccoli 2010. Its native area is eastern Asia and the insect was accidentally introduced to Europe after the Second World War (Groschke 1952).…”

“…As a consequence, they are relatively well known, especially in North America and Europe (Wood 1982, Pfeffer 1995, Knížek & Beaver 2007. However, even in countries with long traditions of entomological research, new species continue to be described and species that have been overlooked to date, or which have only recently arrived from abroad, are still found (Kirkendall et al 2008, Faccoli et al 2009, Kirkendall & Faccoli 2010, Faccoli & Sidoti 2013.…”

Bark Beetles Control in Forests of Northern Spain

“…Gnathotrichus materiarius is considered as a nearctic native species, whereas the origin of Xylosandrus germanus is asiatic. According to Kirkendall and Faccoli (2010) and references therein, owing to commercial trading, bark beetles mainly travel in wood and in wooden packing materials such as crating, dunnage and pallets. Both alien species were found in sawmills and wood-proccesing companies of Basque Country that use imported lumber from France.…”

Evidence of Xyleborinus attenuatus (Blandford 1894) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae: Xyleborini) populations in Quebec, Canada

“…Xyleborinus saxesenii was first recorded in North America in 1915 (Haack 2001). Xyleborinus saxesenii is considered a transcontinental species (Rabaglia et al 2006) and is widely distributed in Europe (Kirkendall and Faccoli 2010;Knižek 2011). In Quebec, Canada, X. saxesenii was first recorded in 2003 by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency based on specimens recovered from hardwood (CFIA 2003).…”