Phloeophagous
Guides
Corthylina
Corthylina is a subtribe of small bark beetles within the tribe Corthylini (subfamily Scolytinae). Members are characterized by compact bodies and are primarily associated with woody plants. The subtribe includes economically significant species that tunnel in the phloem of trees and shrubs. Many species exhibit host-specific relationships with particular tree genera.
Cryphalus pubescens
Cryphalus pubescens is a small bark beetle in the family Curculionidae, subfamily Scolytinae. It is one of approximately 200 species in the genus Cryphalus, a group of ambrosia and bark beetles distributed worldwide. The species was described by Hopkins in 1915 and is known from North America, with records from British Columbia and the United States. Like other cryphaline beetles, it is associated with woody plants, though specific host associations remain poorly documented.
Dendroctonus simplex
Eastern Larch Beetle
Dendroctonus simplex, the eastern larch beetle, is a bark beetle in the family Curculionidae that colonizes the phloem of tamarack (Larix laricina). Historically a secondary pest attacking stressed or dying trees, it has undergone an unprecedented 18-year outbreak in northern Minnesota since 2000, killing over 440,000 acres of tamarack forest. Research indicates that warming climate has enabled some populations to complete development without an obligatory overwintering period, potentially allowing multiple generations per year. The beetle is a holobiont, engaging in multipartite symbiotic interactions with bacteria and fungi that facilitate host colonization and detoxification of terpenes.
Gnophomyia
Gnophomyia is a genus of crane flies (family Limoniidae) established by Osten Sacken in 1860. The genus contains species whose larvae are specialized bark-dwellers, feeding on phloem tissue. Immature stages have been described for several species including G. lugubris, G. acheron, G. viridipennis, and G. luctuosa. The genus is recorded from Europe and North America.
Hylesinus
crenulate bark beetles
Hylesinus is a genus of bark beetles in the family Curculionidae comprising more than 180 described species. Members are commonly known as crenulate bark beetles and are primarily associated with woody plants, particularly ash (Fraxinus) and pistachio (Pistacia). Several species have been studied as pests of economic or ornamental importance.
Pityokteines ornatus
Pityokteines ornatus is a species of bark beetle in the family Curculionidae, subfamily Scolytinae. It was described by Wood in 1966. This species belongs to a genus of conifer-associated bark beetles that are significant forest pests in North America. The genus Pityokteines contains species that primarily infest fir trees (Abies spp.), with adults typically boring into the bark to create galleries where they lay eggs. The larvae develop within the phloem and cambium layers, potentially causing significant damage to host trees.
Polygraphus rufipennis
Four-eyed Spruce Bark Beetle
Polygraphus rufipennis is a phloeophagous bark beetle restricted to Abietineae hosts in northern and mountainous areas of North America. It completes one generation annually with spring and summer broods, developing from egg to adult in approximately two months. Males produce a highly volatile aggregation pheromone (3-methyl-3-buten-1-ol) that attracts both sexes, with females generally exhibiting stronger responses. The species colonizes both felled and standing trees, with attack densities varying by tree condition and bark characteristics.
Scolytus muticus
hackberry engraver, hackberry beetle
Scolytus muticus is a bark beetle species in the family Curculionidae, commonly known as the hackberry engraver or hackberry beetle. The species is found in North America and is associated with hackberry trees (Celtis species). Like other members of the genus Scolytus, this species exhibits the typical bark beetle habit of excavating galleries in the phloem of host trees.
Tetropium
spruce longhorn beetles
Tetropium is a genus of long-horned beetles (Cerambycidae) containing at least 20 described species, sometimes classified in its own monotypic tribe Tetropiini. Several species are significant forest pests, particularly of spruce (Picea) trees. The genus includes economically important species such as T. fuscum (brown spruce longhorn beetle), an invasive pest in Atlantic Canada, and T. castaneum. Adults are attracted to synthetic pheromones and host tree volatiles, making them amenable to detection and monitoring using baited traps.
Tetropium fuscum
Brown Spruce Longhorn Beetle
Tetropium fuscum is a wood-boring cerambycid beetle native to Europe and Northern Asia, established as an invasive species in Atlantic Canada since at least 1990. The species is a documented pest of spruce trees (Picea spp.), with larvae developing in the phloem of host trees. Adult males produce an aggregation pheromone called fuscumol that attracts both sexes, particularly when combined with host tree volatiles. In its introduced Canadian range, it has been observed infesting stressed and moribund red spruce, with larval galleries sometimes girdling stems and causing tree mortality.