Insect · GBIF taxon 1228026
Mountain Pine Beetle
Dendroctonus ponderosaeAlso known as Black Hills Beetle
Female mountain pine beetles bore into the inner bark of mature pines, releasing aggregation pheromones that summon thousands of adults to overwhelm the host tree's resinous defenses. They carry symbiotic blue-stain fungi in specialized mouth structures, which block the tree's water transport system and accelerate the tree's collapse. Warming winter temperatures have allowed beetle populations to surge, triggering landscape-scale forest mortality across western North America.
Wood-BoringForest PestBark Beetle
Licensed referenceWikimedia Commons / Public domain · cc0
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Lodgepole Pine Phloem
- Ponderosa Pine Phloem
- Blue Stain Fungus
Predators
- Three-toed Woodpecker
- Checkered Beetle
- Red-breasted Nuthatch
ThreatsExtreme prolonged cold snaps and forest management interventions
HabitatsMontane pine forests and high-elevation coniferous woodlands
Life span1 year
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyCurculionidae
- SpeciesDendroctonus ponderosae
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Look for Pitch Tubes: Search pine trunks for popcorn-shaped tubes of sap where beetles have bored inside.
- Inspect Sawdust Deposits: Look around the base of pine trees for fine reddish boring dust trapped in bark crevices.
Symbiont (c) Caleb Catto, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Predator (c) Fyn Kynd, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Fyn Kynd · cc-by-sa
Host Plant (c) Alison Northup, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Alison Northup · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Erich G. Vallery, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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