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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Maricopa, Arizona » U.S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center » Pest Management and Biocontrol Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #249992
Title: Coexistence and competition between tomicus yunnanensis and T. minor (Coeoptera: Scolytidae)in yunnan pine

Author
item LU, RONG CHUN - Chinese Academy Of Forestry
item WANG, HONG BIN - Chinese Academy Of Forestry
item ZHANG, ZHEN - Chinese Academy Of Forestry
item Byers, John
item JIN, YOU JU - Beijing Forestry University
item WEN, HAI FENG - University Of Shanghai
item SHI, WEN JIAN - University Of Shanghai

Submitted to: Journal of Applied Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/12/2011
Publication Date: 1/1/2012
Citation: Lu, R.C., Wang, H.B., Zhang, Z., Byers, J.A., Jin, Y.J., Wen, H.F., Shi, W.J. 2012. Coexistence and competition between tomicus yunnanensis and T. minor (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) in Yunnan pine. Psyche Vol. 2012, ID 185312, pp.1-6.

Interpretive Summary: We studied the competition and cooperation between two species of pest bark beetle, Tomicus yunnanensis and Tomicus minor (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) when they live together in Yunnan pine trees (Pinus yunnanensis L.) growing in Yunnan province in southwest China. We observed that T. yunnanensis beetles begin to disperse from shoots to trunks in November while most T. minor begin to transfer in December. T. yunnanensis mainly attacks the top and middle part of the trunk, whereas T. minor resides mostly in the lower and middle part of the trunk. The highest attack densities of these two species showed a similar pattern, with T. yunnanensis colonizing the upper section of the trunk and T. minor in the lower trunk. The highest attack density of T. Yunnanensis was about 297 egg galleries/m2, and the highest attack density of T. minor was about 305 egg galleries/m2. The two species colonize different areas of the tree, but with significant overlap for the same bark resource, and thus these behaviors reduce the intensity of competition for the relatively thin layer of phloem-cambium tissues.

Technical Abstract: This study investigated the competition and cooperation between Tomicus yunnanensis and Tomicus minor (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) when they coexist together in living Yunnan pine trees (Pinus yunnanensis L.) growing in Yunnan province in southwest China. We observed that T. yunnanensis bark beetles begin to disperse from shoots to trunks in November; and most T. minor begin to transfer in December. T. yunnanensis mainly attacks the top and middle part of the trunk, whereas T. minor mainly resides in the lower and middle part of the trunk. The highest attack densities of these two species showed a similar pattern, with T.yunnanensis colonizing the upper section of the trunk and T. minor in the lower trunk. The highest attack density of T. Yunnanensis was about 297 egg galleries/m2, and the highest attack density of T. minor was about 305 egg galleries/m2. The two species colonize different areas of the tree, but with significant overlap for the same bark resource, and thus these behaviors reduce the intensity of competition for the relatively thin layer of phloem-cambium tissues.