Tom DeGomez

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.

Influence of temperature on spring flight initiation for southwestern ponderosa pine bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae).

Abstract Determination of temperature requirements for many economically important insects is a cornerstone of pest management. For bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae), this information can facilitate timing of management strategies. Our goals were to determine temperature predictors for flight initiation of three species of Ips bark beetles, five species of Dendroctonus bark beetles, and two genera of bark beetle predators, Enoclerus spp. (Coleoptera: Cleridae) and Temnochila chlorodia (Mannerheim) (Coleoptera: Ostomidae), in ponderosa pine forests of northcentral Arizona. We quantified beetle flight activity using data loggers and pheromone-baited funnel traps at 18 sites over 4 yr. Ambient air temperature was monitored using temperature data loggers located in close proximity to funnel traps. We analyzed degree-day accumulation and differences between minimum, average, and maximum ambient temperature for the week before and week of first beetle capture to calculate flight temperature thresholds. Degree-day accumulation was not a good predictor for initiation of beetle flight. For all species analyzed other than D. adjunctus Blandford, beetles were captured in traps only when springtime temperatures exceeded 15.0°C. D. adjunctus was collected when maximum temperatures reached only 14.5°C. Once initial flights had begun, beetles were often captured when maximum ambient air temperatures were below initial threshold temperatures. Maximum and average air temperatures were a better predictor for beetle flight initiation than minimum temperature. We establish a temperature range for effective monitoring of bark beetles and their predators, and we discuss the implications of our results under climate change scenarios.

Evaluation of Funnel Traps for Characterizing the Bark Beetle (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) Communities in Ponderosa Pine Forests of North-Central Arizona

Abstract Lindgren funnel traps baited with aggregation pheromones are widely used to monitor and manage populations of economically important bark beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae). This study was designed to advance our understanding of how funnel trap catches assess bark beetle communities and relative abundance of individual species. In the second year (2005) of a 3-yr study of the bark beetle community structure in north-central Arizona pine (Pinus spp.) forests, we collected data on stand structure, site conditions, and local bark beetle-induced tree mortality at each trap site. We also collected samples of bark from infested (brood) trees near trap sites to identify and determine the population density of bark beetles that were attacking ponderosa pine, Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex Lawson, in the area surrounding the traps. Multiple regression models indicated that the number of Dendroctonus and Ips beetles captured in 2005 was inversely related to elevation of the trap site, and positively associated with the amount of ponderosa pine in the stand surrounding the site. Traps located closer to brood trees also captured more beetles. The relationship between trap catches and host tree mortality was weak and inconsistent in forest stands surrounding the funnel traps, suggesting that trap catches do not provide a good estimate of local beetle-induced tree mortality. However, pheromone-baited funnel trap data and data from gallery identification in bark samples produced statistically similar relative abundance profiles for the five species of bark beetles that we examined, indicating that funnel trap data provided a good assessment of species presence and relative abundance.

RELATIVE AND SEASONAL ABUNDANCE OF THREE BARK BEETLE PREDATORS (COLEOPTERA: TROGOSITIDAE, CLERIDAE) ACROSS AN ELEVATION GRADIENT IN PONDEROSA PINE FORESTS OF NORTH CENTRAL ARIZONA

ABSTRACT. We examined abundance and flight periodicity of 3 predators of bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae), Temnochila chlorodia (Mannerheim) (Coleoptera: Trogositidae), Enoclerus sphegeus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Cleridae), and E. lecontei (Wolcott) (Coleoptera: Cleridae), across an elevational gradient of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Lawson) forests in north central Arizona. Predator populations were estimated at 10 sites in each of 3 elevation bands (low: 1600–1736 m; mid: 2058–2230 m; high: 2505–2651 m) for 3 years (2004–2006) using pheromone-baited funnel traps targeting 3 primary bark beetle species. We also investigated how predator abundance and flight seasonality related to those of 5 bark beetle species: lps pini (Say), I. lecontei Swaine, Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann, D. brevicomis LeConte, and D. adjunctus Blandford. Temnochila chlorodia was most abundant in the low- and mid-elevation bands, whereas E. sphegeus was most abundant in the high-elevation band. Enoclerus lecontei showed no consistent elevational trend in abundance. Within each elevation band, changes in annual abundance of pooled predator species tracked shifts in abundance of pooled bark beetle species. In general, predator flight initiation coincided with or closely followed bark beetle flight initiation in the spring, but predator flight terminated before flight activity ended for most bark beetle species in the fall. In addition, the ratio of prey to predators was lowest in the summer and highest in the fall. This suggests that all bark beetle species examined may be provided temporal escape from their predators in the fall. For all 3 predator species, the pheromone-baited trap targeting D. brevicomis was less attractive than the pheromone-baited traps targeting I. pini and I. lecontei.

Lack of genetic differentiation in aggressive and secondary bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) from Arizona

Abstract Bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) play an important role as disturbance agents in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex Lawson) forests of Arizona. However, from 2001 to 2003, elevated bark beetle activity caused unprecedented levels of ponderosa pine mortality. A better understanding of the population structure of these species will facilitate analysis of their dispersal patterns and improve management strategies. Here, we use fluorescently labeled amplified fragment length polymorphism (fAFLP) analysis to resolve genetic variation among and within sampling locations in northcentral Arizona of Ips pini (Say), Dendroctonus brevicomis LeConte, and D. frontalis Zimmermann. We generated genetic fingerprints for >500 beetle specimens and analyzed genetic diversity. For all species, gene flow estimates among sampling locations were high, and significant population subdivision was not discernible across a large portion of ponderosa pine forests in Arizona. However, a weak relationship was detected with I. pini population structure and elevation. Because of the lack of genetic differentiation detected throughout the large study area, our findings suggest these insects are capable of long distance dispersal and exhibit a high degree of gene flow across a broad region. We conclude that our results are consistent with strong dispersal patterns and large population sizes of all three species.

Pine Bark Beetle and Dwarf Mistletoe Infestation in a Remnant Old-Growth Stand

Abstract. We examined the incidence of bark beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) colonization and subsequent mortality, and the presence of dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium vaginatum subsp. crytopodum) within a rare remnant old-growth stand of ponderosa pine. In 2011, 96% of the old growth trees were remaining with additional dense ingrowth of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex. Lawson) within the understory of the oldest trees. We compared the old-growth stand to abutting stands of ponderosa pine: a low-density seed-tree cut and a high-density post-1900 second growth. The old-growth stand had levels of bark beetle colonization similar to the seed-tree stand, and both of these stands had significantly more bark beetles than the high-density stand. Across all sites, bark beetles were found in higher numbers in the 51–60 cm diameter class. We found a trend between the proportion of trees infected per site and the percentage of trees with bark beetle activity, although a direct relationship between a trees dwarf mistletoe infection and beetle attack was not found. This work indicates that large, older trees are not immune to endemic bark beetle attack and subsequent mortality. In light of current efforts to implement forest restoration practices that favor older and larger trees, managers of ponderosa pine forests should be aware that risk from bark beetle attack may increase as basal area increases within the stand.