Significance of parasitoids in the reduction of oak bark beetle Scolytus intricatus Ratzeburg (Col., Scolytidae) in Serbia

Abstract

Abstract: As the vector of vascular fungi of the genus Ophiostoma the oak bark beetle, Scolytus intricatus, is one of the significant links in the chain of agents of oak forest decline in Serbia. It is known that the adults of this bark beetle, which develop under the bark of the trees infected by fungi of the genus Ophiostoma, transport the spores of these fungi. During the maturation feeding, the spores are transmitted to healthy tree crowns, where they germinate and cause infection. In period 1992–96 at 27 localities in Serbia, the significance of parasitoids in the reduction of this bark beetle was examined, as the intensity of spore transmission depends upon the number of oak bark beetle adults in nature. In the research of parasitoids of S. intricatus 20 species were identified in five families of Hymenoptera: Braconidae (six species), Eurytomidae (one), Pteromalidae (10), Eupelmidae (one) and Eulophidae (two). Among these parasitoids the greatest influence on the abundance of oak bark beetle was the species Ecphylus silesiacus. It was identified in 90.91% of study samples, its domination was 39.15% and the percentage of oak bark beetle parasitism was 5.66%. In addition, the species Entendon ergias, Dendrosoter protuberans and Cheiropachus quadrum were significant in reduction of S. intricatus. The average percentage of parasitism of oak bark beetle by E. ergias was 2.74%, by D. protuberans it was 2.63% and by Ch. quadrum 1.63%. The significance of other parasitoids in the reduction of oak bark beetles was low. In the study period the total parasitism of oak bark beetle varied between a minimum of 8.64% in 1992 and a maximum of 19.64% in 1996. The average for the whole study period was 14.49%.