Xylem-borer

Guides

• Euwallacea perbrevis

  tea shot-hole borer

  Euwallacea perbrevis, the tea shot-hole borer, is an invasive ambrosia beetle native to South and Southeast Asia through Australia. It is part of the Euwallacea fornicatus cryptic species complex, distinguished from its three sibling species (E. fornicatus, E. fornicatior, and E. kuroshio) primarily through molecular genetics rather than morphology. The beetle cultivates symbiotic fungi in galleries bored into host trees and vectors fungal pathogens causing Fusarium branch dieback. It has been introduced to the United States (Florida, Hawaii), Costa Rica, and Panama, where it poses significant economic threats to avocado production and urban trees.

  ambrosia-beetleinvasive-speciescryptic-species-complexfungus-farmingavocado-pestfusarium-diebackbiological-controlScolytinaexylem-borervectorintegrated-pest-managementtea-pestHawaiiFloridaCaliforniaIsraelpolyphagoussymbiosismycangiainbreedinghaplodiploidyBeauveria-bassianaentomopathogenic-fungi

• 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.

  ambrosia-beetlefungus-farminginvasive-pestScolytinaeweevilmutualismhaplodiploidinbreedingforest-pestxylem-borermycangiafungal-vector