Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dk4vv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T06:27:29.396Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

THE LIFE HISTORY OF THE AMBROSIA BEETLE XYLOTERINUS POLITUS (COLEOPTERA: SCOLYTIDAE)1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

David B. MacLean  and
Ronald L. Giese
David B. MacLean
Affiliation:
Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
Ronald L. Giese
Affiliation:
Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Head capsule measurements of the ambrosia beetle Xyloterinus politus (Say) revealed three larval instars. The xylomycetophagous larvae lengthened their cradles and a positive correlation existed between head width and cradle length. A sex factor of 0.84 was in favor of the female adults. Dissection of active galleries revealed only a single female per gallery. Males were never seen to initiate or excavate a gallery and were forced from the entrance hole by the female when placed in an active attack. The gallery system studied was simple, the entrance hole penetrated into the sapwood for a variable distance before it branched into secondary tunnels at right angles to the main gallery.

Eggs were laid singly in cup-shaped cradles excavated by the female. The cradle openings were plugged with frass throughout the duration of the immature stages. Callow adults emerged from the cradles by forcing the frass plug covering the entrance, and re-entered, their position reversed to feed upon the ambrosial fungus growing on the cradle walk X. politus overwintered as an adult in the old cradles and galleries. Larvae of Ipideurytoma sp. (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae), probably a larval parasite of X. politus, were found in cradles.

Type
Articles
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 99 , Issue 3 , March 1967 , pp. 285 - 299
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 1967

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Beal, J. A., and Massey, C. L.. 1945. Bark beetles and ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) with special reference to species occurring in North Carolina. Duke Univ. For. Bull. 10, 178 pp.Google Scholar
Blackman, M. W. 1921. Descriptions of eight new bark beetles (Ipidae) from Mississippi. Miss. Agric. Exp. Sta. Tech. Bull. 10, 16 pp.Google Scholar
Blackman, M. W. 1922. Mississippi bark beetles. Miss. Agric. Exp. Sta. Tech. Bull. 11, 130 pp.Google Scholar
Blatchley, W. S., and Leng, C. W.. 1916. Rhynchophora or weevils of North America. Nat. Publ. Co., Indianapolis, Ind.684 pp.Google Scholar
Chamberlin, W. J. 1939. The bark and timber beetles of North America. OSC Cooperative Assoc., Corvalis, Oregon. 513 pp.Google Scholar
Connola, D. P., Collins, D. L., Risley, J. H. and Smith, W. E.. 1956. Insect damage and its prevention in windthrown saw timber. Bull. N.Y. St. Mus. Sci. Serv. No. 352.Google Scholar
Dodge, H. R. 1938. The bark beetles of Minnesota (Coleoptera: Scolytidae). Minn. Agric. Exp. Sta. Tech. Bull. 132, 60 pp.Google Scholar
Drake, C. J. 1921. A new ambrosia beetle from the Adirondacks; notes on the work of Xyloterinus politus (Say). Ohio J. Sci. 21: 201–205.Google Scholar
Eichhoff, W. 1871. Neue exoticshe tomiciden. Arten. Berl. Ent. Leitschr. 15: 131–137.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eichhoff, W. 1878. Ratio descriptis emendatio tomicinorum. Mém. Soc. r. Sci. Liège 8: 420.Google Scholar
Finnegan, R. J., and Gagnon, C.. 1964. Xyloterinus politus (Say), another possible vector of the Dutch elm disease. Bi-mon. Prog. Rep. Forest Ent. and Path. (Ottawa, Canada) 20: 6.Google Scholar
Fletcher, J. 1886. Insects infesting maple trees. Ont. Ent. Soc. Rep. 17: 22–23.Google Scholar
Francke-Grossman, H. 1963. Some new aspects in forest entomology. A. Rev. Ent. 8: 415–438.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hopkins, A. D. 1893. Catalogue of West Virginia Scolytidae and their enemies. W. Va. Agric. Exp. Sta. Bull. 31: 121–168.Google Scholar
Hopkins, A. D. 1894. Sexual characters in Scolytidae. Can. Ent. 26: 274–280.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kabir, A. K. M. F. 1963. The Columbian timber beetle and its associated micro-organisms in soft maple. Unpublished Ph.D. thesis, Purdue Univ., Lafayette, Indiana.Google Scholar
LeConte, J. L. 1859. The Complete Writings of Thomas Say. A. E. Foote, Philadelphia. 814 pp.Google Scholar
Say, T. 1826. Descriptions of new species of coleopterous insects, inhabiting the United States. p. 318. In LeConte, J. L. (ed.), 1891. The complete writings of Thomas Say. A. E. Foote, Philadelphia.Google Scholar
Schedl, K. 1958. Breeding habits of arboricole insects in central Africa. Proc. 10th Int. Congr. Ent. (1956) 1: 183–197.Google Scholar
Schwarz, E. A. 1891. Notes on the breeding habits of some Scolytidae. Proc. ent. Soc. Wash. 2: 77–78.Google Scholar
Swaine, J. M. 1918. Canadian bark beetles. Part II. A preliminary classification with an account of the habits and means of control. Can. Dep. Agric. Bull. 14, 143 pp.Google Scholar
Thomas, J. B. 1960. The immature stages of Scolytidae: the tribe Xyloterini. Can. Ent. 92: 410–419.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wood, S. L. 1957. Ambrosia beetles of the tribe Xyloterini (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) in North America. Can. Ent. 89: 337–354.CrossRefGoogle Scholar