Influence of Elevation on Bark Beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) Community Structure and Flight Periodicity in Ponderosa Pine Forests of Arizona

Abstract

We examined abundance and flight periodicity of five Ips and six Dendroctonus species (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) among three different elevation bands in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex. Lawson) forests of northcentral Arizona. Bark beetle populations were monitored at 10 sites in each of three elevation bands (low: 1,600-1,736 m; middle: 2,058-2,230 m; high: 2,505-2,651 m) for 3 yr (2004-2006) using pheromone-baited Lindgren funnel traps. Trap contents were collected weekly from March to December. We also studied temperature differences among the elevation bands and what role this may play in beetle flight behavior. Bark beetles, regardless of species, showed no consistent elevational trend in abundance among the three bands. The higher abundances of Ips lecontei Swaine, I. calligraphus ponderosae Swaine, Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmerman, and D. brevicomis LeConte at low and middle elevations offset the greater abundance of I. knausi Swaine, D. adjunctus Blandford, D. approximatus Dietz, and D. valens LeConte at high elevations. I. pini (Say) and I. latidens LeConte were found in similar numbers across the three bands. Flight periodicity of several species varied among elevation bands. In general, the flight period shortened as elevation increased; flight initiated later and terminated earlier in the year. The timing, number, and magnitude of peaks in flight activity also varied among the elevation bands. These results suggest that abundance and flight seasonality of several bark beetles are related to elevation and the associated temperature differences. The implications of these results are discussed in relation to bark beetle management and population dynamics.

Bark beetle-caused mortality in a drought-affected ponderosa pine landscape in Arizona, USA

“…Elevation influences bark beetle distributions and mortality patterns (Hansen, 1996;Fettig et al, 2005;Williams et al, 2008).…”

“…To a lesser extent other bark beetles involved include the roundheaded pine beetle, Dendroctonus adjunctus (Blandford), the mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins, and the western pine beetle, Dendroctonus brevicomis (Le Conte) (USDA Forest Service, 2001. The relative abundance of these species was found to vary by elevation in north-central Arizona, with greater populations of I. lecontei and D. brevicomis at low to mid elevations (<2000 m), while I. pini was found in similar numbers across all elevations evaluated (Williams et al, 2008). While Williams et al (2008) provided important information on the relative abundance of bark beetle species by elevation, tree mortality caused by them has not been examined or quantified.…”

Factors influencing pine engraver (Ips pini Say) colonization of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex. Laws.) slash in Northern Arizona

“…In Arizona, climate varies widely across the elevation range of ponderosa pine (Gaylord et al, 2008;Williams et al, 2008), and can be a critical factor in determining the desiccation rate of slash. Mean annual precipitation increases at higher elevations due to orographic processes (Sheppard et al, 2002), while mean temperature decreases with higher elevation .…”

“…Pine engraver beetles are attracted to and regenerate in slash created during logging operations, and thinning and restoration treatments (Sartwell, 1970;Livingston, 1979;Parker, 1991;Gara et al, 1999). Known to initiate spring flights as early as mid March (Gaylord et al, 2008;Williams et al, 2008), offspring of earlyspring fliers emerge from logging slash in late spring/early summer. This generation is thought to present the greatest threat to live standing trees, often causing mortality in residual trees.…”

Ocorrência e distribuição espacial e temporal do coleóptero Naupactus curtus em cafeeiros de Minas Gerais, Brasil

“…Estudos sobre outros fatores, como característica da planta hospedeira e inimigos naturais, deveriam ser abordados em próximos trabalhos (WILLIAMS et al, 2008). Dessa forma, trabalhos futuros devem ser direcionados aos fatores que determinam o ataque de N. curtus nessas regiões.…”