Dendroctonus frontalis

Dendroctonus frontalis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Curculionidae
Subfamily: Scolytinae
Genus: Dendroctonus
Species: D. frontalis
Binomial name
Dendroctonus frontalis
Zimmermann, 1868
Synonyms

Dendroctonus arizonicus

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]

Tree infestations

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] About $900 million worth of damage was caused by this species from 1960 to 1990 in the southern United States.[4]

References

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