Distribution, Invasion History, and Ecology of Non-native Pine Bark Beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) in Southern South America.

The growth of international trade, coupled with an expansion of large-scale pine plantations in South America during the second half of the twentieth century, has significantly increased the opportunities for the invasion of forest insects. Bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) are a large and diverse group of insects, commonly recognized as one of the most important tree mortality agents in coniferous forests worldwide and an important group among invasive forest species. In this study, we combined data from field sampling with published records of established non-native pine bark beetles, to describe their distribution and invasion history in pine plantations across southern South America, reviewing the available information on their phenology and host range. We obtained records of established populations of six Eurasian species distributed in two major regions: the southwest region comprises plantations in Chile and the Argentine Patagonia, with four bark beetle species: Hylastes ater, Hylastes linearis, Hylurgus ligniperda, and Orthotomicus laricis; the northeastern zone includes northeastern Argentina, Uruguay, and southern Brazil, and includes three bark beetle species: Cyrtogenius luteus, H. ligniperda, and O. erosus. The establishment of non-native populations across the study area began in the 1950s, and from the 1980s onwards, there has been an exponential increase in introductions. We predict that several of these species will continue spreading across South America and that new species will continue arriving. We highlight the importance of international collaboration for early detection and management of non-native pine bark beetles.

Uncharted Territories: First report of Euwallacea fornicatus (Eichhoff) in South America with new reproductive hosts records.

We report the presence of the invasive ambrosia beetle, Euwallacea fornicatus (Eichhoff, 1868), for the first time in South America. The identity is established by morphological and molecular methods, although the sequences suggest that it represents a separate haplotype from the populations that have caused significant damage in South Africa, Israel, and California, and is most phylogenetically similar to specimens from Asia and greenhouses in Europe. This pest is one of the most successful invaders, causing high economic and ecological impacts in the regions where it is introduced. Our records are from the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, one of the most populated and largest port cities in South America, where attacks by this beetle are present on a wide range of living street trees. The large number of trees attacked and the new records of reproductive host species suggest that the beetle is already established and widespread in the citys urban forest. This context implies that the beetle may pose a threat to the urban and natural environment, as well as to the forests and fruit production of the region. Informamos la presencia del escarabajo invasor de ambrosa, Euwallacea fornicatus (Eichhoff, 1868), por primera vez en Sudamrica. La identificacin se estableci mediante mtodos morfolgicos y moleculares, si bien las secuencias sugieren que representa un haplotipo distinto de las poblaciones que han causado daos significativos en Sudfrica, Israel y California, resulta filogenticamente ms similar a especmenes de Asia e invernaderos de Europa. Esta plaga es una de las especies invasoras ms exitosas, causando altos impactos econmicos y ecolgicos en las regiones donde es introducida. Nuestros registros provienen de la ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina, una de las ciudades portuarias ms pobladas y grandes de Sudamrica, donde los ataques de este coleptero estn presentes en una amplia diversidad de especies pertenecientes al arbolado urbano. El gran nmero de rboles atacados y los nuevos registros de especies hospedadoras reproductoras sugieren que el coleptero ya est establecido y extendido en el bosque urbano de la ciudad. Este contexto implica que el coleptero puede suponer una amenaza para el medio urbano y natural, as como para los bosques y la produccin frutcola de la regin.

Collecting and preserving bark and ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae & Platypodinae).

This protocol describes the different methods to collect and preserve bark and ambrosia beetles, detailing collecting tools, recording relevant data, and optimizing step-by-step methods to extract beetles from twigs, branches, bark, and trunks. It elaborates on trapping techniques, tools, lures, baits, and beetle preservation. The main rule of manual collecting is to not attempt to pry the insect out of the wood or bark, but instead, remove the wood/bark away from the beetle: gently and systematically. The main rule of trapping is that there is no general attractant; instead, attractants and traps should reflect the ecology of the targeted beetle taxa.

Peering into the Cuba phytosanitary black box: An institutional and policy analysis.

To mitigate the movement of non-native organisms with trade, phytosanitary systems have been implemented within and between countries. In some countries such as Cuba, little is known about the within-state plant health system. To facilitate the development of future trade partnership between Cuba and the United States, agencies need to understand the organizational structure and diagnostic capacity of the Cuban Plant Protection System, identify potential synergies between the United States and Cuban systems, and identify steps towards cooperation. This paper fills this critical void by presenting a descriptive analysis of the plant health system in Cuba. Information was integrated from available literature, informal interviews with Cuban experts, and workshops focused on Cuban policies, risk, and potential collaboration attended by Cuban and American experts. We identify the next practical steps in improving cooperation, including building trust and capacity. Mutual understanding of phytosanitary systems will be crucial for the regional economic and environmental stability of a post-embargo United States-Cuban relationship.

North American Xyleborini north of Mexico: a review and key to genera and species (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae).

Bark and ambrosia beetles (Scolytinae) are the most successful group of invasive wood borers worldwide, and the most invasive among them are species in the tribe Xyleborini. This haplodiploid, highly inbred, fungus-farming group is represented by 30 non-native species in North America, of which at least five are serious pests. The few identification resources for Xyleborini that exist are becoming outdated due to new species arrivals and nomenclatural changes. Here we present a new comprehensive key to Xyleborini currently known from the continental United States. Compared to the previous key, the following species have been added to the North American fauna: Ambrosiodmus minor (Stebbing), Ambrosiophilus nodulosus (Eggers), Anisandrus maiche Kurentsov, Coptoborus pseudotenuis (Schedl), Cyclorhipidion fukiense (Eggers), Dryocoetoides reticulatus Atkinson, Dryoxylon onoharaense (Murayama), Euwallacea interjectus (Blandford), Xyleborinus andrewesi (Blandford), Xyleborinus artestriatus (Eichhoff), Xyleborinus octiesdentatus (Murayama), Xyleborus bispinatus Eichhoff, Xyleborus seriatus Blandford, Xyleborus spinulosus Blandford, and Xylosandrus amputatus (Blandford).