Scolytinae
Guides
Phloeosinus canadensis
northern cedar bark beetle
Phloeosinus canadensis, commonly known as the northern cedar bark beetle, is a species of crenulate bark beetle in the family Curculionidae. It is native to North America, with documented records from Canada (New Brunswick, Ontario, Québec) and the United States (Vermont). The species belongs to the genus Phloeosinus, a group of bark beetles associated with coniferous trees. As a member of the weevil family, it exhibits the characteristic elongated snout typical of Curculionidae.
Phloeosinus dentatus
eastern juniper bark beetle, crenulate bark beetle
Phloeosinus dentatus is a bark beetle (Scolytinae) in the weevil family Curculionidae, commonly known as the eastern juniper bark beetle. It is native to North America and primarily associated with red cedar (Juniperus virginiana). The species serves as an important alternate host for hymenopterous parasitoids that also attack economically significant bark beetles, including the southern pine beetle and Ips spp.
Phloeosinus punctatus
western cedar bark beetle
Phloeosinus punctatus is a bark beetle in the family Curculionidae, subfamily Scolytinae, known as the western cedar bark beetle. The species colonizes giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) and California incense-cedar (Calocedrus decurrens) in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. Females initiate gallery construction and mate monogamously. The beetle undergoes four larval instars, typically producing one generation per year under natural conditions. It has been observed to contribute to branch mortality in giant sequoia, particularly when trees are under environmental stress.
Phloeosinus sequoiae
Redwood Bark Beetle
Phloeosinus sequoiae is a small bark beetle in the family Curculionidae, commonly known as the Redwood Bark Beetle. The species was described by Hopkins in 1903 and is associated with Sequoia and Sequoiadendron species. It belongs to a genus of crenulate bark beetles that tunnel beneath bark of conifers.
Phloeosinus serratus
juniper bark beetle
Phloeosinus serratus is a bark beetle in the family Curculionidae, commonly known as the juniper bark beetle. It has been documented attacking Cupressus lusitanica in Jamaica, representing a new host record for this species. The species occurs in North America, the Caribbean, and Middle America.
Phloeotribini
Phloeotribini is a tribe of bark beetles within the subfamily Scolytinae, characterized by their small size and association with woody plants. Members are distinguished from related tribes by specific morphological features of the antennal club and pronotum. The tribe contains several genera, with Phloeotribus being the most well-known. These beetles are primarily found in association with dead or dying branches and twigs of various tree species.
Phloeotribus
Phloeotribus is a genus of crenulate bark beetles in the family Curculionidae, comprising at least 150 described species. Species within this genus exhibit diverse host associations, with some specializing on olive (Olea europaea), others on stone fruits (Prunus spp.), and some on broom (Cytisus scoparius). The genus includes economically significant pests such as Phloeotribus scarabaeoides, which damages olive trees through feeding and breeding gallery construction. Reproductive systems vary among species, with both monogynous and bigynous mating systems documented.
Phloeotribus liminaris
Peach Bark Beetle
Phloeotribus liminaris, commonly known as the peach bark beetle, is a bark beetle species in the family Curculionidae. It has been documented colonizing black cherry trees (Prunus serotina) through chemically-mediated host location. The species is found in North America.
Pityogenes
bark beetles
Pityogenes is a genus of bark beetles in the family Curculionidae, comprising over 30 described species distributed across the Northern Hemisphere. Species in this genus are primarily associated with coniferous trees, with P. chalcographus being the most extensively studied due to its economic significance as a pest of Norway spruce. The genus exhibits typical scolytine characteristics including aggregation pheromone communication and specialized host-finding behaviors. Some species demonstrate notable geographic variation in morphology and genetics, suggesting population differentiation across their ranges.
Pityogenes bidentatus
Pityogenes bidentatus is a European bark beetle that colonizes Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris). The species exhibits sophisticated olfactory-mediated behaviors for host location, including attraction to aggregation pheromone components (grandisol and cis-verbenol) and active avoidance of nonhost volatiles. Its behavioral response to monoterpene odors is context-dependent: avoidance occurs during flight but not during walking, likely representing distinct sensory mechanisms for long-range host discrimination versus short-range gallery establishment.
bark-beetleScolytinaePinus-sylvestrisaggregation-pheromoneolfactory-behaviorhost-selectionmonoterpene-avoidancecontext-dependent-plasticitynonhost-avoidancenorthern-Europegrandisolcis-verbenol1-octene-3-olβ-caryophylleneflight-behaviorwalking-behaviorelectroantennographypopulation-genetics-modelnematode-associationBursaphelenchus-pinophilusnematangiaCzech-Republicmixed-forestconifer-forestScots-pineNorway-sprucenonhost-volatileschemical-ecologyinsect-plant-interactionsherbivore-host-rangesensory-ecologybehavioral-plasticitypheromone-ecologyforest-entomologyinvasive-potential-(North-America-records)Pityogenes carinulatus
Pityogenes carinulatus is a small bark beetle in the weevil family Curculionidae, described by Wood & Bright in 1992. It belongs to the subfamily Scolytinae (true bark and ambrosia beetles), a group of economically significant forest pests. The species has been recorded in western North America including British Columbia, Canada, and parts of Middle America. Like other members of the genus Pityogenes, it is associated with coniferous trees.
Pityogenes hopkinsi
chestnut-brown bark beetle
Pityogenes hopkinsi is a small bark beetle in the family Curculionidae, commonly known as the chestnut-brown bark beetle. It colonizes eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) and uses a three-component aggregation pheromone to coordinate mass attacks on host trees. The pheromone system involves sex-specific synergistic responses and male-produced inhibitory compounds that regulate attraction.
Pityogenes meridianus
Pityogenes meridianus is a small bark beetle in the family Curculionidae, subfamily Scolytinae. It was described by Blackman in 1921 and is provisionally accepted as a valid species. The genus Pityogenes comprises conifer-associated bark beetles, though species-level biology for P. meridianus remains poorly documented.
Pityogenes plagiatus
Pityogenes plagiatus is a bark beetle species in the family Curculionidae, described by Bright in 1976. The genus Pityogenes belongs to the tribe Ipini within the subfamily Scolytinae, a group of weevils specialized in tunneling under bark. Records indicate presence in North America, specifically Vermont, USA. Information regarding its biology and ecology remains limited in available sources.
Pityokteines
fir engraver beetles
Pityokteines is a genus of bark beetles (Scolytinae) known as fir engraver beetles. Species in this genus are significant pests of fir trees (Abies) and other conifers in the subfamily Abietoideae. Males initiate gallery construction and produce aggregation pheromones that regulate mass attack on host trees. The genus exhibits species-specific pheromone communication systems involving ipsenol and ipsdienol, which contribute to reproductive isolation among sympatric species.
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.
Pityokteines sparsus
Pityokteines sparsus is a species of bark beetle in the family Curculionidae, described by Wood & Bright in 1992. The species is known from scattered records across northern North America including the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Labrador. As a member of the genus Pityokteines, it is associated with coniferous hosts, though specific biological details for this species remain poorly documented. The limited number of observations suggests it may be uncommon or underrecorded.
Pityophthorus
Pityophthorus is a large genus of bark beetles in the family Curculionidae, containing more than 540 described species. The genus is characterized by its association with coniferous and hardwood host trees, with species distributed across North America, Europe, and other regions. Some species, such as P. juglandis (the walnut twig beetle), are significant forest pests that vector pathogenic fungi causing tree diseases.
Pityophthorus liquidambarus
Pityophthorus liquidambarus is a bark beetle species in the weevil family Curculionidae, described by Blackman in 1921. It belongs to the genus Pityophthorus, a group of small ambrosia beetles primarily associated with woody plants. Very little specific information is documented about this particular species compared to its congener Pityophthorus juglandis, which has been extensively studied as the vector of thousand cankers disease in walnuts.
Pityophthorus puberulus
A twig beetle in the subfamily Scolytinae, Pityophthorus puberulus is commonly associated with eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) in seed orchards. Field studies indicate it responds to the pheromone pityol, with attraction enhanced by the monoterpenes (-)-α-pinene and (-)-β-pinene. Its attraction is inhibited by S-(-)-limonene, suggesting this compound may function in host recognition and suitability assessment. The species has been documented as a bycatch in trapping programs targeting the white pine cone beetle, Conophthorus coniperda.
Pityophthorus setosus
Pityophthorus setosus is a species of bark beetle in the weevil family Curculionidae, described by Blackman in 1928. It belongs to the genus Pityophthorus, a group of small ambrosia and bark beetles commonly known as twig beetles. Very little specific biological or ecological information is available for this species in the provided sources. The genus Pityophthorus includes species that are associated with coniferous and hardwood trees, with some members known as significant forest pests.
Pityophthorus virilis
Pityophthorus virilis is a species of bark beetle in the weevil family Curculionidae, first described by Blackman in 1928. The genus Pityophthorus comprises small ambrosia beetles that primarily infest coniferous trees, though species-level biology for P. virilis remains poorly documented. Most congeneric species are associated with Pinus species and other conifers.
Procryphalus utahensis
Procryphalus utahensis is a bark beetle species in the family Curculionidae, subfamily Scolytinae. It was described by Hopkins in 1915 and is distributed across North America, with records from Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Québec) and the United States (Alaska). Like other bark beetles, it likely develops in the phloem of woody plants, though specific host associations remain poorly documented.
Pseudips
Pseudips is a genus of bark beetles in the family Curculionidae, subfamily Scolytinae. The genus includes species native to western North America and Central America that primarily attack pine trees (Pinus species). The best-documented species, Pseudips mexicanus, is a secondary bark beetle that colonizes stressed or weakened pine hosts. Research on this species in British Columbia has documented its polygynous mating system and univoltine life cycle in northern populations.
Pseudohylesinus grandis
Pseudohylesinus grandis is a bark beetle (Curculionidae, formerly Scolytidae) associated with western hemlock forests of coastal North America. It completes one generation annually with two broods and four larval instars, overwintering as a teneral adult. The species exhibits distinct breeding habitat preferences, utilizing fresh slash in thinned stands rather than stumps. Adult females engage in pre-oviposition feeding on the inner bark of standing live host trees before constructing egg galleries in slash material.
Pseudohylesinus granulatus
Fir Root Bark Beetle
A bark beetle species in the weevil family Curculionidae, commonly known as the Fir Root Bark Beetle. Native to western North America, it is associated with fir trees and develops in root systems. The species was described by J.M. Swaine in 1918.
Pseudohylesinus sericeus
silver fir beetle
Pseudohylesinus sericeus, the silver fir beetle, is a bark beetle species in the weevil family Curculionidae. It is known from North America and is associated with silver fir trees. The species was described by Mannerheim in 1843 and is currently classified in the genus Pseudohylesinus, though it was formerly placed in Hylurgus.
Pseudopityophthorus
oak bark beetles
A genus of bark and ambrosia beetles in the family Curculionidae, comprising more than 30 described species distributed primarily in North and Central America. Species in this genus are strongly associated with oak trees (Quercus spp.) and have been investigated as potential vectors of forest pathogens, including the oak wilt fungus Ceratocystis fagacearum and the canker-causing fungus Geosmithia pallida. Some species exhibit phoretic behavior and form associations with other organisms including mites and nematodes.
Pseudopityophthorus minutissimus
oak bark beetle
Pseudopityophthorus minutissimus, commonly known as the oak bark beetle, is a small bark beetle in the family Curculionidae. It is native to North America and breeds in oak species (Quercus). The species has been investigated as a potential vector of the oak wilt fungus Ceratocystis fagacearum, though evidence suggests it plays a minor role in long-distance pathogen transmission compared to other insects.
Pseudopityophthorus pruinosus
Pseudopityophthorus pruinosus is a species of bark beetle in the family Curculionidae, subfamily Scolytinae. It was described by Wood & Bright in 1992 and is known from North America and Middle America. The species has been documented in association with nematodes, though the nature of this relationship remains unspecified in available literature. As a member of the tribe Xyleborini, it belongs to a group of ambrosia beetles that typically cultivate fungal gardens within wood galleries.
Pseudothysanoes
Pseudothysanoes is a genus of bark beetles (Scolytinae) within the family Curculionidae. The genus contains more than 100 described species and was established by Blackman in 1920. Species in this genus have been documented in the Northwestern Himalayan region, including the first South Asian record from Jammu and Kashmir. As bark beetles, members of this genus are associated with woody plants, though specific ecological details remain limited for most species.
Scolytodes schwarzi
Scolytodes schwarzi is a bark beetle species described by Wood & Bright in 1992, belonging to the genus Scolytodes within the weevil family Curculionidae (subfamily Scolytinae). It is distributed across the Caribbean, Middle America, and North America. As a member of Scolytodes, it is part of a genus of small ambrosia beetles that typically colonize dead or dying wood.
Scolytus
bark beetles, elm bark beetles
Scolytus is a genus of bark beetles in the subfamily Scolytinae, family Curculionidae. Multiple species within this genus are significant forest pests, particularly as vectors of Dutch elm disease. The genus includes both European and North American species with documented roles in tree mortality. Some species exhibit chemically-mediated aggregation behaviors involving pheromone communication.
Scolytus multistriatus
European elm bark beetle, smaller European elm bark beetle
Scolytus multistriatus is a small bark beetle in the subfamily Scolytinae that infests elm trees (Ulmus spp.). It is a known vector of Dutch elm disease caused by the fungus Ophiostoma ulmi, though it is less effective than the related Scolytus scolytus. The species uses chemical cues including vanillin and syringaldehyde to locate host trees during oviposition. It has been introduced to North America and other regions beyond its native European range, where it contributes to elm decline through disease transmission and direct tree damage.
Scolytus piceae
Spruce Engraver
Scolytus piceae is a bark beetle species in the weevil family Curculionidae, subfamily Scolytinae, commonly known as the Spruce Engraver. It is a primary phloem-feeding beetle specializing on spruce trees, with documented associations with Engelmann spruce and white spruce in northern Idaho. The species constructs galleries in the phloem tissue of host trees where larvae develop.
Scolytus schevyrewi
Banded Elm Bark Beetle
Scolytus schevyrewi is a small bark beetle native to Asia that has become invasive in North America. It is a documented vector of Dutch elm disease pathogens (Ophiostoma ulmi and O. novo-ulmi). The species exhibits strong attraction to stressed or weakened host trees, particularly Ulmus pumila, and has been observed displacing both native elm bark beetles and the earlier-introduced smaller European elm bark beetle (S. multistriatus) in North America. In its native range, it also causes significant damage to fruit trees including apricot.
Scolytus unispinosus
Douglas-fir engraver
Scolytus unispinosus, the Douglas-fir engraver, is a bark beetle native to western North America. It acts primarily as a secondary insect, colonizing the tops, limbs, and branches of Douglas-fir trees that have been killed or weakened by other factors. While it occasionally kills young trees, it is generally of minor economic importance and commonly attacks logging slash. In British Columbia's interior, it frequently occurs in association with the Douglas-fir beetle (Dendroctonus pseudotsugae).
Thanasimus dubius
dubious checkered beetle, American bark beetle destroyer, checkered beetle predator, Wavering Checkered Beetle
Thanasimus dubius is a predatory checkered beetle (Cleridae) native to North and Central America. It specializes in preying upon bark beetles, particularly species in the genera Ips and Dendroctonus, with the southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis) being a well-documented prey item. Adults exhibit a stereotyped five-act predatory sequence involving search/ambush, seizure, alignment, consumption, and grooming. The species demonstrates chemotactic responses to bark beetle pheromones and tree volatiles, and shows regional genetic differentiation across its eastern North American range. It has been investigated as a potential biological control agent for forest pest management.
Tomicus
pine shoot beetles
Tomicus is a genus of bark beetles in the family Curculionidae, described by Pierre André Latreille in 1802. The genus contains at least seven recognized species, including economically significant forest pests such as T. piniperda, T. minor, T. destruens, and T. yunnanensis. These beetles are commonly known as pine shoot beetles due to their distinctive life history involving feeding on pine shoots before trunk colonization. Several species have caused substantial mortality in pine forests across Europe, the Mediterranean region, and southwestern China, with T. yunnanensis described as unusually aggressive in its native range.
Tomicus piniperda
common pine shoot beetle, Eurasian pine shoot beetle
Tomicus piniperda is a bark beetle native to Europe, northwestern Africa, and northern Asia, and an invasive species in North America. It is one of the most destructive shoot-feeding beetles in northern Europe, causing economic damage to pine forestry through two distinct feeding behaviors: breeding in stressed or dead pine trunks and feeding on the pith of healthy young pine shoots. The beetle has a single generation per year and does not use pheromones for mate location, instead relying on host plant volatiles. It was first detected in North America in 1992 near Cleveland, Ohio, and has since spread to multiple U.S. states and Canadian provinces, triggering federal quarantines.
Treptoplatypus abietis
Treptoplatypus abietis is a species of weevil in the family Curculionidae, described by Bright & Skidmore in 2002. The genus Treptoplatypus contains ambrosia beetles that bore into wood. The specific epithet "abietis" suggests an association with fir trees (genus Abies). The species is provisionally accepted in taxonomic databases with limited published information available.
Trypodendron
Trypodendron is a genus of ambrosia beetles in the family Curculionidae, subfamily Scolytinae. Species in this genus are fungus-farmers that cultivate symbiotic fungi in galleries excavated within wood. Several species, including T. lineatum, T. domesticum, T. signatum, and T. laeve, are economically significant pests of timber. The genus is characterized by specialized pheromone-mediated aggregation behavior and obligate nutritional mutualisms with specific fungal partners.
Trypodendron betulae
birch ambrosia beetle
Trypodendron betulae, the birch ambrosia beetle, is a North American ambrosia beetle in the family Curculionidae. It attacks standing stressed sub-canopy birch trees, particularly paper birch (Betula papyrifera). Male and female pairs construct galleries in sapwood where they cultivate symbiotic Ambrosiella fungi for larval nutrition. The species has a female-produced aggregation pheromone blend of (3S,6R)-trans- and (3R,6R)-cis-linalool oxide pyranoid, which chemically isolates it from sympatric Trypodendron species. Adults emerge in September and overwinter in leaf litter.
Trypodendron domesticum
European hardwood ambrosia beetle
Trypodendron domesticum is a European ambrosia beetle in the family Curculionidae. It is a wood-boring pest of hardwoods that has been introduced to North America. The species is morphologically similar to the closely related T. lineatum, requiring molecular methods for reliable identification. It is one of four Trypodendron species documented in Europe.
Trypodendron retusum
Trypodendron retusum is a small ambrosia beetle in the subfamily Scolytinae, described by Wood & Bright in 1992. The species belongs to the genus Trypodendron, a group of wood-boring beetles that cultivate fungal gardens in their galleries. It occurs in boreal and temperate forests of North America, with records from Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, and New Brunswick in Canada. Like other Trypodendron species, it is presumed to be an ambrosia beetle that feeds on fungal symbionts rather than wood tissue, though specific details of its biology remain poorly documented.
Trypodendron scabricolle
Trypodendron scabricolle is a bark beetle in the weevil family Curculionidae, subfamily Scolytinae. It belongs to the tribe Xyleborini, a group of ambrosia beetles that cultivate fungal gardens in wood. The genus Trypodendron comprises small to medium-sized ambrosia beetles that tunnel into the wood of dead or dying trees. This species, like other members of its genus, is associated with fungal symbiosis rather than direct phloem feeding.
Trypophloeus
Trypophloeus is a genus of bark beetles in the family Curculionidae, subfamily Scolytinae, containing approximately 12 species distributed across North America, Europe, and Asia. The genus is primarily associated with Salicaceae hosts, particularly Populus and Salix species. Trypophloeus populi has gained recent attention as the causative agent of sudden aspen decline in North America. Several species are significant forest pests, with T. klimeschi causing extensive damage to shelter forests in northwest China and T. binodulus affecting poplar plantations in Spain.
Xyleborini
ambrosia beetles, xyleborine ambrosia beetles
Xyleborini is a tribe of ambrosia beetles within the subfamily Scolytinae (Curculionidae), comprising highly specialized weevils that cultivate symbiotic fungi for food. The tribe dominates ambrosia beetle faunas across Eurasia and the Americas, with the type genus Xyleborus containing over 500 species, though this genus represents an unnatural grouping of distantly related species. Many Xyleborini are economically significant invasive pests that attack healthy trees, while others are secondary colonizers of dead or dying wood. The tribe exhibits exceptional diversity with numerous genera, many of which are small or monotypic.
Xyleborinus
Xyleborinus is a genus of ambrosia beetles in the subfamily Scolytinae, comprising over 80 described species. These beetles are fungus-farmers that excavate galleries in wood and cultivate symbiotic fungi as their primary food source. The genus includes economically significant species such as Xyleborinus saxesenii, which has been associated with rapid apple decline in North American orchards. Xyleborinus exhibits extraordinary morphological diversity, particularly in Madagascar where a recent radiation produced at least 32 endemic species following a single colonization event 8.5–11.0 million years ago.
Xyleborinus andrewesi
Xyleborinus andrewesi is a small ambrosia beetle in the weevil subfamily Scolytinae. Native to the Old World tropics, it has been widely introduced to the New World. The species is polyphagous and has been recorded from 59 host plants across 29 families. It was synonymized with Xyleborinus mimosae in a 2021 taxonomic revision.