Mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) can produce its aggregation pheromone and complete brood development in naïve red pine (Pinus resinosa) under laboratory conditions

Abstract

Mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins; Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) has killed millions of hectares of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Douglas ex Loudon) forest in western Canada, where it has recently established in the novel host jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) and threatens naïve red pine (Pinus resinosa Aiton) forests as the current outbreak expands eastward. It is therefore crucial to understand whether red pine is a suitable host for D. ponderosae. Host suitability was assessed by comparing the ability of beetles to produce pheromones and complete their development in red pine bolts inoculated with mating beetle pairs. We detected two of four primary pheromones, including trans-verbenol and verbenone, but not exo-brevicomin or frontalin. Beetle brood successfully developed in bolts, with reproductive parameters (e.g., female and larval galleries, pupal chamber, and number of broods emerged per mated pair of adults) that were similar to those reported from the beetle’s historical host lodgepole pine and the novel host jack pine. These results provide initial evidence that red pine is a suitable host for D. ponderosae. However, it is unclear how either low concentrations or an absence of exo-brevicomin, frontalin, and the synergistic monoterpene myrcene could affect host colonization and establishment of beetles.

Performance of the tree‐killing bark beetles Ips typographus and Pityogenes chalcographus in non‐indigenous lodgepole pine and their historical host Norway spruce

“…This precursor is present in lodgepole pine but accounts for only 5% on average of total monoterpene content (Pureswaran et al ., ), which is a much lower proportion than in Norway spruce (Schiebe et al ., ). Thus, both proportions and amounts of pheromones produced in lodgepole may differ from Norway spruce as demonstrated for the mountain pine beetle in historical and naïve host trees (Erbilgin et al ., ; Cale et al ., ). The origins of P. chalcographus pheromone components are unclear but, obviously, the species is also able to produce pheromones in pines.…”

“…Tree‐killing bark beetles may also colonize and reproduce in novel host tree species. Reported examples include the Eurasian spruce bark beetle Ips typographus (L.) in the North American Engelmann spruce, white spruce, Sitka spruce, Lutz spruce, black spruce and red spruce (Økland et al ., ); the mountain pine beetle Dendroctonus ponderosae in jack pine, red pine and interior hybrid spruce (McKee et al ., ; Erbilgin et al ., ; Cale et al ., ); and the red turpentine beetle Dendroctonus valens in Chinese red pine (Yan et al ., ; Liu et al ., ).…”

Development of an aggressive bark beetle on novel hosts: Implications for outbreaks in an invaded range

“…Whether these novel hosts can be overcome by fewer beetles has not yet been studied. Indeed, while our study contributes to assessments of relative differences in reproductive potential among hosts (Amman, ; Cerezke, ; Langor, Spence, & Pohl, ), it remains unclear how induced phytochemical defences may affect mountain pine beetle reproduction in eastern hosts as common garden studies with live trees are not possible in this system (Cale et al., ).…”

“…We compared reproduction and development parameters of mountain pine beetle in a common garden environment with cut logs following established protocols (e.g. Bentz, Bracewell, Mock, & Pfrender, 2011;Cale et al, 2015;Langor, 1989;Safranyik & Linton, 1983;West, Briggs, Jacobi, & Negrón, 2015). In total, eight trees of each of the following species were utilized; jack (P. banksiana Lamb), red (P. resinosa Ait.…”

Colonization behaviors of mountain pine beetle on novel hosts: Implications for range expansion into northeastern North America

“…Freshly cut material has often been used by others to assess colonization dynamics of mountain pine beetle [35,42,54,62–66] and allows an assessment of baseline constitutive effects between species in a common garden environment.…”