The great spruce bark beetle (Dendroctonus micansKug.) (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) in Lithuania: occurrence, phenology, morphology and communities of associated fungi

Abstract

We studied the occurrence, morphology and phenology of Dendroctonus micans in Lithuania and the fungi associated with the beetle at different developmental stages. The occurrence of D. micans was assessed in 19 seed orchards (at least 40 years old) of Picea abies (L. Karst.) situated in different parts of the country. Bark beetle phenology was studied in two sites: a seed orchard of P. abies and a plantation of Picea pungens (Engelm.). D. micans morphology was assessed under the dissection microscope using individuals at different developmental stages that were sampled during phenology observations. Communities of fungi associated with D. micans were studied using both fungal culturing methods and direct high-throughput sequencing from D. micans. Results showed that the incidence D. micans was relatively rare and D. micans was mainly detected in central and eastern Lithuania. The life cycle included the following stages: adult, egg, I-V developmental stage larvae and pupa. However, development of D. micans was quicker and its nests larger under the bark of P. pungens than of P. abies, indicating the effect of the host species. Fungal culturing and direct high-throughput sequencing revealed that D. micans associated fungi communities were species rich and dominated by yeasts from a class Saccharomycetes. In total, 319 fungal taxa were sequenced, among which Peterozyma toletana (37.5% of all fungal sequences), Yamadazyma scolyti (30.0%) and Kuraishia capsulate (17.7%) were the most common. Plant pathogens and blue stain fungi were also detected suggesting their potentially negative effects to both tree health and timber quality.

Fungal Communities Associated with Siricid Wood Wasps: Focus on Sirex juvencus, Urocerus gigas, and Tremex fuscicornis

“…These insects are well-known as vectors of different fungal species, primarily ophiostomatoid ones. All these beetles that usually live together with siricides transmit fungi such as Leptographium wingfieldii, Leptographium lungbergii, Ophiostoma minus, Sphaeropsis sapinea, Ophiostoma canum, or Ophiostoma bicolor [16][17][18]. Often, the fungi remain in the wood for a long time and developed insects can carry these pathogenic fungi and infect new trees.…”

Ladybird (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae) communities on nonnative blue spruce in central Europe

“…Due to its ornamental appearance, it has become very popular in urban planting (Benčať, 1982;Kulfan et al, 2010;Kula et al, 2016), and early after its discovery in 1861, it was introduced to Europe (Pagan and Randuška, 1988;Fechner, 1990). Recently, it can be found in every part of Europe (Kulfan et al, 2010;Guillot Ortiz, 2014;Černý et al, 2016;Menkis et al, 2016;Yovkova et al, 2016). Due to its popularity in some European countries, it has also been planted in forests, for example, in reforestation programmes in air-polluted areas of the Czech Republic (Slodičák and Novák, 2008;Kršiak et al, 2009;Kula et al, 2016).…”