Dendroctonus frontalis | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Coleoptera |
Family: | Curculionidae |
Subfamily: | Scolytinae |
Genus: | Dendroctonus |
Species: | D. frontalis |
Binomial name | |
Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmerman, 1868 |
Dendroctonus frontalis, the southern pine beetle, is a species of bark beetle native to the forests of southern United States, Mexico and Central America.[1] It has a hard reddish brown to black exoskeleton and measures approximately 3 mm (0.12 in), about the size of a grain of rice. It is short-legged, the front of its head is notched and the hind of its body is round.[2]
Dendroctonus frontalis inhabits several Pinus species. Host trees in the United States include primarily P. taeda, P. echinata, P. elliottii, P. virginiana, P. rigida, P. palustris, P. serotina, P. pungens and P. strobes, P. ponderosa, P. engelmannii and P. leiophylla.[2] Host trees in Central America include P. caribaea, P. engelmannii, P. leiophylla, P. maximinoi and P. oocarpa.[2] In the south-eastern United States it is considered one of the most important causes of economic loss in forestry.[3]