European Spruce Bark Beetle Ips Research Articles

Viral diversity in the European spruce bark beetle Ips typographus as revealed through high-throughput sequencing

The European spruce bark beetle, Ips typographus is the economically most important biotic damaging agent of Norway spruce. Efforts to delimit beetle populations by trapping, application of chemical insecticides, or mechanically excluding the beetles from their breeding substrates are often expensive and mostly inadequate. The use of natural enemies and viruses is receiving increased research interest as a potential environmentally healthy approach to control pest insect populations, but practical biocontrol methods against I. typographus are still lacking. To learn more about putative enemies of this pest species, we used high-throughput sequencing to determine its viral community using beetles collected at a Finnish forest site. The analysis revealed a diverse community of RNA viruses associated with I. typographus, including novel viruses that could be affiliated with the classified families Benyviridae, Metaviridae, Narnaviridae, Partitiviridae, Phenuiviridae, Solemoviridae, Virgaviridae, Tombusviridae, and proposed family Spiciviridae, as well as unclassified “quenyaviruses”. Based on phylogenetic analysis, the viruses were distinct from, but resembled, unclassified viruses originating from other arthropods, and many of them were distantly related to previously described viruses. The possibility that the viruses could be hosted by other organisms than the beetle itself (associated fungi, nematodes and protozoa) was addressed by bioinformatic and phylogenetic analyses and is discussed.

Diurnal temperature fluctuations improve predictions of developmental rates in the spruce bark beetle Ips typographus

AbstractThe European spruce bark beetle Ips typographus is a widespread pest in Norway spruce-dominated forests in Eurasia. Predicting its phenology and voltinism is crucial to plan forest management measures and to mitigate mass outbreaks. Current phenology models are based on constant temperatures inferred from laboratory experiments; however, insect life cycles under natural conditions are rather driven by diurnal and seasonal temperature fluctuations. Therefore, phenology models based on fluctuating temperatures would reflect field conditions more realistically and might thus improve model predictions. In a laboratory experiment, we investigated the development of I. typographus, applying mean temperatures between 3 and 35 °C and diurnal temperature oscillations of up to ± 15 °C. Subsequently, we calibrated developmental rate models and applied them to climate data, in order to assess the effect of temperature fluctuations on voltinism under field conditions. Our results showed that diurnal temperature oscillations significantly affected developmental rates. Compared to constant temperatures, development was faster at temperature oscillations falling below the lower developmental threshold, and slower at temperature oscillations exceeding the developmental optimum. Furthermore, short exposures to suboptimal temperatures affected I. typographus less than expected from constant conditions. Natural temperature fluctuations thus accelerate development under cool, shaded conditions, whilst slowing it under hot, sun-exposed conditions, thereby ultimately affecting voltinism. Our findings highlight the importance to account for diurnal temperature fluctuations for more accurate predictions of developmental rates of I. typographus in natural thermal environments, and provide the fundament for improving current phenology models to support effective bark beetle management in a warming climate.

Evidence of cross-channel dispersal into England of the forest pest Ips typographus

AbstractA breeding population of the tree-killing European spruce bark beetle Ips typographus was detected in England for the first time in 2018 and was initially assumed to have arrived with infested timber. To test the hypothesis that the beetles are dispersing naturally across the English channel, extensive trap networks were deployed in 2021 and 2022 to track the flight activity of the beetles from an outbreak hotspot in France and Belgium to southern England, including parallel ‘coastal’ traps on either side of the channel. Beetles were caught all along the transect, decreasing in abundance with distance from the outbreak area. Linear modelling indicates that beetles dispersed into England during 2021 and 2022, and that during a large-scale dispersal event in June 2021, beetles could have penetrated more than 160 km inland. The 2021 dispersal event initiated new incursions of the beetle in southeast England and demonstrates the extraordinary distance I. typographus may move under outbreak conditions. Our findings support the hypothesis of a damaging forest pest aerially dispersing across the barrier of the English channel and suggest that future incursions of this and other plant-associated pests may move via the same pathway.

Analyzing the environmental risk factors of European spruce bark beetle damage at the local scale

The frequent outbreaks of European spruce bark beetle Ips typographus (L.) have destroyed huge amounts of Norway spruce Picea abies (L.) forests in central and Northern Europe. Identifying the risk factors and estimating the damage level is important for strategic damage control. The risk factors of forest damage by spruce bark beetles have mostly been analyzed on the landscape scale, while the in-stand risk factors have been less investigated. This study aims at exploring the local-scale risk factors in a flat area with spruce-dominated forest in southern Sweden. The investigated factors include four abiotic factors, i.e., soil wetness, solar radiation, slope gradient, and aspect, and three biotic factors, i.e., the number of deciduous trees and trees that died from attacks in previous years that remained (TreesLeft) and removed (TreesRemoved) from the forest stand. We put up 24 pheromone bags in six stands attacked by bark beetle in the previous years, resulting in different numbers of infested trees in each plot. We explored in which microenvironment a pheromone bag resulted in more colonization, the impact radius of each factor, and the necessary factors for a risk model. The environmental factors were obtained from remote sensing-based products and images. A generalized linear model (GLM) was used with the environmental factors as the explanatory variables and the damage levels as the response variables, i.e., the number of attacked trees for the plot scale, and healthy/infested for the single-tree scale. Using 50 m and 15 m radius of the environmental factors resulted in the best fit for the model at plot and individual tree scales, respectively. At those radii, the damage risk increased both at plot and individual tree level when spruce were surrounded by more deciduous trees, surrounded by dead trees that had been removed from the forest, and spruces located at the north and east slopes (315°–135° of aspect, > 2° slope). Soil wetness, solar radiation, and remaining standing dead trees in the surrounding did not significantly impact the damage level in the microenvironment of the study area. The GLM risk model yielded an overall accuracy of 0.69 in predicting individual trees being infested or healthy. Our efforts to investigate the risk factors provide a context for wall-to-wall mapping in-stand infestation risks, using remote sensing-based data.

Participatory ground data are complementary to satellite bark beetle detection

Key messageDuring pest outbreaks, mapping tools play an important role. Participatory projects can provide useful ground data, which have a high accuracy in detecting early-stage infestations and small spots of the European spruce bark beetle Ips typographus. However, satellite approaches are fundamental to clearly estimate infestation occurrence because ground data are spatially biased. Here, we show how a participatory approach involving nonspecialized staff and based on GIS-based app may contribute ground truth data that are fully complementary to satellite data.ContextIn Europe, bark beetle outbreaks were recently triggered by windstorms and heat waves, with the European spruce bark beetle Ips typographus. as the most important pest species. Huge efforts are needed for continuous mapping and monitoring of affected areas, especially during an incipient large-scale infestation. This is particularly difficult in mountain landscapes because of the rugged topography.AimsIn addition to the use of remote sensing techniques, ground surveys are still an important source of data, providing detailed information on the symptoms of the affected trees and the stage of the attacks. Unfortunately, these surveys are extremely time demanding and require intensive field work. We wanted to assess how a participatory approach based on nonspecialized staff may contribute to data collection.MethodsGeoreferenced outbreak data were collected in the field in the Southern Alps (Italy) using a smartphone application based on ArcGIS platform. The survey was based on a participatory approach on a voluntary basis, involving citizens aware of forest practices. Visual analysis of satellite images was performed monthly to assess the visibility of reported infestations. Using a binomial model, we tested how the type of report (i.e., on-site/off-site), size of spot, stage of infestation, and their interactions affect detectability. In addition, spot occurrences within a study area were mapped for comparison with ground surveillance. Closeness to roads was tested between reported and unreported spots.ResultsWebGIS platform allowed us to retrieve near real-time information on bark beetle outbreaks and to compare the results with satellite imagery. Using visual analysis of satellite images, we detected only ~ 50% of the spots observed in the field, and detectability decreased dramatically for smaller and early-stage spots. Field observations were mostly concentrated near roads and covered only ~ 10% of the spots detected on satellite images.ConclusionThe participatory approach is particularly helpful in mapping early-stage and small infestations, while satellite images are better suited at covering large areas and detect large and advanced-stage spots. The integration of those approaches is promising, and it can greatly improve the overall understanding of bark beetle outbreaks under emergency situations. A greater effort in developing smart applications for ground detection will benefit future monitoring of forest pests.

Potential of Scots Pine for a Push Strategy against the European Spruce Bark Beetle Ips typographus

Ips typographus, the European spruce bark beetle, is a destructive forest insect that attacks spruce trees. It poses a significant threat to the forestry industry, causing widespread tree mortality and economic losses, and its management through chemical ecology is a promising approach. Attraction relies on aggregation pheromones while repellency is achieved via antiaggregation pheromones combined with mixtures of nonhost volatiles (NHVs), but an effective push and pull strategy has not been established yet. In this study, we observed the beetle colonization dynamic and density comparing pure Norway spruce stacks and Norway spruce stacks with 20% Scots pine logs. We collected the spruce bark volatiles before the beetle colonization and at the end of the trial, and tested the behavioral effects on the beetles of both spruce and pine essential oils in olfactometer trials. In the stacks with Scots pine, we observed a delayed primary colonization and a 65% reduction of the secondary colonization, confirming the colonization disruption mediated by NHVs. Volatile analysis showed a significant change in the bark emission profiles, and the reaching of the antiaggregation phase was marked by the release of verbenone. Behavioral experiments confirmed the attractivity of spruce essential oil and the strong repellency of the pine essential oil. The study supports the use of complex NHVs blends for the beetle behavioral manipulation in the field. Further studies are needed to assess if the same results can be achieved by deploying essential oils in forest stands.

The Role of the Stem Pests in Changing the Condition of Coniferous Forests of the North-West of the European Part of Russia

The danger of stem pests’ mass reproduction in the Leningrad Region and the Republic of Karelia is increasing. However, data on their populations’ state in the northwest of the European part of Russia are scarce and very heterogeneous. They include materials from articles and reviews of the sanitary and forest pathology state, which are in turn based on completely different methodological approaches to obtaining information. Generalisation and analysis of data on the increase in the number of stem pests that pose a danger to coniferous forest stands in the north-west of the European part of Russia, taking into account the materials of scientific reports and forest pathology monitoring, is an urgent task of this paper. The greatest danger to spruce stands is the European spruce bark beetle Ips typographus (Linnaeus, 1758), which forms large-scale centres of mass reproduction. The main factors causing the beginning of the formation of breeding centres are weather conditions (hurricane-force winds and the formation of windblows, an increase in the growing season temperature and a lack of precipitation). At the end of the 20th–beginning of the 21st century, the Leningrad R-egion saw an increase in frequency of the stem pests’ mass reproduction outbreaks, especially the European spruce bark beetle. Since the second half of the 20th century, breeding outbreaks have been also observed in the Republic of Karelia. In the Murmansk region, stem pests do not have a noticeable effect on the forest stands condition. These trends correspond to the temperature increase trends in the Leningrad region and Karelia and an insignificant temperature change in the Murmansk region. Additional nutrition for the pine beetles and sawyer beetles in cases of their mass reproduction is an underestimated factor in the forest stands weakening, which significantly affects the growth and condition of surrounding plantations. The appearance of invasive species, such as the small spruce bark beetle Ips amitinus (Eichhoff, 1872) (Curculionidae: Coleoptera), is a potential danger, but at present this species does not show significant activity in pine and spruce forests in the north of the European part of Russia.

Successful colonization of novel spruce hosts by European and North American spruce bark beetles can favour trans-Atlantic range expansion

Abstract The European spruce bark beetle Ips typographus and the North American spruce beetle Dendroctonus rufipennis cause high mortality of spruces on their native continents. Both species have been inadvertently transported beyond their native ranges. With similar climates and the presence of congeneric spruce hosts in Europe and North America, there is a risk that one or both bark beetle species become established into the non-native continent. There are many challenges that an introduced population of bark beetles would face, but an important prerequisite for establishment is the presence of suitable host trees. We tested the suitability of non-native versus native hosts by exposing cut bolts of Norway spruce (Picea abies), black spruce (Picea mariana) and white spruce (Picea glauca) to beetle attacks in the field in Norway and Canada. We quantified attack density, brood density and reproductive success of I. typographus and D. rufipennis in the three host species. We found that I. typographus attacked white and black spruce at comparable densities to its native host, Norway spruce, and with similar reproductive success in all three host species. In contrast, D. rufipennis strongly preferred to attack white spruce (a native host) but performed better in the novel Norway spruce host than it did in black spruce, a suboptimal native host. Our results suggest that I. typographus will find abundant and highly suitable hosts in North America, while D. rufipennis in Europe may experience reduced reproductive success in Norway spruce.

Mites Associated with the European Spruce Bark Beetle Ips typographus (Linnaeus, 1758) in Europe, with New Evidence for the Fauna of Serbia

Various biotic and abiotic factors are the cause of the decline of coniferous forests throughout Europe. Trees weakened by unfavorable weather conditions create an ideal environment for a possible outbreak of bark beetles. The damage caused by bark beetles costs billions of dollars worldwide every year. Extreme climate events are responsible for the enormous forest losses in Tara National Park in the last ten years, leading to a massive bark beetle infestation. The understanding of the diversity and role of mites as biological control agents is still insufficient. In this study, we summarize the current knowledge on the diversity of mites associated with Ips typographus L. in Europe and provide information on the diversity of these mites in Serbia. Paraleius leontonychus, Uroobovella ipidis, Dendrolaelaps quadrisetus, Histiostoma piceae, and Trichouropoda polytricha were detected for the first time in Serbia. Moreover, the occurrence of Paraleius leontonychus represents the southernmost occurrence of this species.

Mites associated with the European spruce bark beetle Ips ty-pographus (Linnaeus, 1758) in Europe, with new evidence for the fauna of Serbia

Mites associated with the European spruce bark beetle Ips ty-pographus (Linnaeus, 1758) in Europe, with new evidence for the fauna of Serbia

Transcriptomic changes during the establishment of long-term methyl jasmonate-induced resistance in Norway spruce.

Norway spruce (Picea abies) is an economically and ecologically important tree species that grows across northern and central Europe. Treating Norway spruce with jasmonate has long‐lasting beneficial effects on tree resistance to damaging pests, such as the European spruce bark beetle Ips typographus and its fungal associates. The (epi)genetic mechanisms involved in such long‐lasting jasmonate induced resistance (IR) have gained much recent interest but remain largely unknown. In this study, we treated 2‐year‐old spruce seedlings with methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and challenged them with the I. typographus vectored necrotrophic fungus Grosmannia penicillata. MeJA treatment reduced the extent of necrotic lesions in the bark 8 weeks after infection and thus elicited long‐term IR against the fungus. The transcriptional response of spruce bark to MeJA treatment was analysed over a 4‐week time course using mRNA‐seq. This analysis provided evidence that MeJA treatment induced a transient upregulation of jasmonic acid, salicylic acid and ethylene biosynthesis genes and downstream signalling genes. Our data also suggests that defence‐related genes are induced while genes related to growth are repressed by methyl jasmonate treatment. These results provide new clues about the potential underpinning mechanisms and costs associated with long‐term MeJA‐IR in Norway spruce.

Remote Sensing Assessment of the Expansion of Ips typographus Attacks in the Chuprene Reserve, Western Balkan Range

The Chuprene Reserve was created in 1973 to preserve the natural coniferous forests in the Western Balkan Range in Bulgaria. The first infestations by European spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) were registered in Norway spruce (Picea abies) stands in the mid-1980s. The aim of this study is to assess the damages caused by I. typographus in the Chuprene Reserve using remote sensing techniques – unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) images, airborne images, and satellite images of European Space Imaging (EUSI), combined with terrestrial verification. High-resolution images in four bands of the electromagnetic spectrum and in a standard RGB channel were taken in 2017 via a multispectral camera ‘Parrot Sequoia’, integrated with a specialized professional UAV system eBee ‘Flying Wing’. The health status of Norway spruce stands in the reserve was assessed with the normalized difference vegetation index, based on the digital mixing of imagery captured in the red and near infrared range. The dynamic of bark beetle attacks was studied in GIS on the basis of maps generated from photographic surveys, airborne images taken in 2011 and 2015, and satellite images from 2020. In the UAV-captured area (314.0 ha), the size of Norway spruce stands attacked by I. typographus increased from 7.6 ha (2.4%) in 2011 to 44.9 ha (14.3%) in 2020. The satellite images showed that on the entire territory of the Chuprene Reserve (1451.9 ha), I. typographus killed spruce trees on 137.4 ha, which is 9.6% of the total area.

Northernmost European spruce bark beetle Ips typographus outbreak: Modelling tree mortality using remote sensing and climate data

Acute or chronic drought stress caused by climate change can contribute to the weakening of forest ecosystems and lead to extensive bark beetle infestations. Siberian spruce (Picea obovata Ledeb.) forests of the Dvinsko-Pinegskiy, a natural reserve in the Arkhangelsk region, Russia, have been subject to unprecedented tree cover loss caused by the Eurasian spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus L.) in the last two decades. This is the first recorded case of such an extensive outbreak of Ips typographus occurring at higher latitudes. We used remote sensing and climate data to model and compute annual tree-loss change due to natural factors, with a focus on bark beetle outbreaks, over a 14-year period (2001–2014). Usinglinear regression models, we found a combination of average annual temperature and precipitation, temperature and precipitation in June, to be the most important drivers of annual tree-loss.

Scientific response to intensifying bark beetle outbreaks in Europe and North America

Tree-killing bark beetles are globally the most destructive forest pests and their impacts have increased in recent decades. Such an increase has been consistently reported from Europe and North America, and it is, with high confidence, driven by climate change. We investigated how the scientific community in both continents responded to this situation by conducting a comprehensive search of the Scopus database from 1970 to 2020. Studies that investigated interactions between climate change and two prominent bark beetles in Europe and North America, the European spruce bark beetle Ips typographus (ESBB) and the mountain pine beetle Dendroctonus ponderosae (MPB), were identified. We used several hierarchical search criteria, starting from general aspects of pest – climate change interactions, to studies with clear implications for management and policies.We found that authors investigating the two bark beetle species mentioned climate change in publications beginning in 1998, and have constituted 8.9 and 13.8 % of all studies on ESBB (N = 987) and MPB (N = 1479) recorded in Scopus. However, only part of these studies addressed climate change as a fundamental or integral part of their research design (59.1 % in ESBB and 38.7 % in MPB). We identified 30 studies on ESBB and 50 studies on MPB which informed efforts towards improving bark beetle management strategies to address climate change-affected ecosystem dynamics. Publications on both insects consistently highlighted the importance of vegetation management aiming to reduce the risk and severity of outbreaks and prevent large-scale population expansion. Only a minor portion of studies placed their findings into the context of relevant policies and legislation, and this connection was particularly lacking in studies on MPB.We conclude that research on bark beetle management under climate change has received inadequate attention and it lags behind observed and foreseen global-scale impacts. We suggest that focused and applied research with clear management implications is needed to develop new climate-adapted and evidence-based management strategies.

Facultative and obligate diapause phenotypes in populations of the European spruce bark beetle Ips typographus

The bark beetle Ips typographus is the most destructive insect pest in Norway spruce-dominated forests. Its potential to establish multiple generations per year (multivoltinism) is one major trait that makes this beetle a severe pest. Ips typographus enters diapause to adjust its life cycle to seasonally changing environments. Diapause is characterized by developmental and reproductive arrest; it prolongs generation time and thus affects voltinism. In I. typographus a facultative, photoperiod-regulated diapause in the adult stage has been described. In addition, the presence of an obligate, photoperiod-independent, diapause has been hypothesized. The diapause phenotype has important implications for I. typographus voltinism, as populations with obligate diapausing individuals would be univoltine. To test for the presence of different I. typographus diapause phenotypes, we exposed Central and Northern European individuals to a set of photoperiodic treatments. We used two ovarian traits (egg number and vitellarium size) that are associated with gonad development, to infer reproductive arrest and thus diapause. We found a distinct effect of photoperiod on ovarian development, with variable responses in Central and Northern European beetles. We observed obligate diapausing (independent of photoperiod) individuals in Northern Europe, and both facultative (photoperiod-regulated) as well as obligate diapausing individuals in Central Europe. Our results show within-species variation for diapause induction, an adaptation to match life cycles with seasonally fluctuating environmental conditions. As the diapause phenotype affects the potential number of generations per season, our data are the basis for assessing the risk of outbreaks of this destructive bark beetle.

Identification of male produced compounds in the bark beetle Polygraphus subopacus and establishment of (Z)-2-(3,3-dimethylcyclohexylidene)-ethanol as an aggregation pheromone component

Bark beetles of the genus Polygraphus have recently been involved in large bark beetle outbreaks in central Sweden, together with the European spruce bark beetle Ips typographus. Three species of Polygraphus can be found in this region; Polygraphus poligraphus, Polygraphus punctifrons and Polygraphus subopacus. Efficient pheromone traps would facilitate further investigations of these species and their role in bark beetle outbreaks. Pheromone compounds have previously been identified in P. poligraphus and P. punctifrons, but not in P. subopacus. Thus, we allowed males and females of P. subopacus to bore in the bark of stem sections of Norway spruce (Picea abies) in the laboratory. Volatile organic compounds from boring insects were sampled with SPME and analysed with GC–MS and several male-specific compounds were observed. The male specific compounds were 3-methyl-3-buten-1-ol, 3-methyl-2-buten-1-ol, 3-methyl-2-butenal, grandisol, fragranol, (Z)-2-(3,3-dimethylcyclohexylidene)-ethanol, (E)-2-(3,3-dimethylcyclohexylidene)-ethanol, (Z)-2-(3,3-dimethylcyclohexylidene)-acetaldehyde, (E)-2-(3,3-dimethylcyclohexylidene)-acetaldehyde, geranial and γ-isogeraniol. (Z)-2-(3,3-dimethylcyclohexylidene)-ethanol, [(Z)-DMCHE], was identified from GC–MS analysis to be the major male-specific compound while the (E)-isomer, [(E)-DMCHE], was found as a minor compound. These two compounds gave positive responses in EAG analyses with antennae from males and females of P. subopacus. Thus, (Z)- and (E)-DMCHE were used in a field experiment in central Sweden but only (Z)-DMCHE was found to be attractive to males and females of P. subopacus. Consequently, (Z)-DMCHE was established to be a component of P. subopacus aggregation pheromone.

Impacts of mountain forest dieback on aquatic insect communities: A DNA metabarcoding analysis of samples from the Bavarian Forest

Mountain forests are increasingly affected by changes in rainfall and pest outbreaks, and the way forests are managed can have direct consequences for the streams flowing through forests. Aquatic macroinvertebrate communities are great bioindicators and changes to their ecosystem likely translates to changes in their overall composition and abundance. The Bavarian Forest National Park (SE Germany) is dominated by the Norway spruce (Picea abies) which, weakened by storms and other stressors, is susceptible to infestation by the European spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus). The result is large scale forest dieback in some areas, and forest management practices that lead to a predominance of three different forest types (hereafter habitats): Intact forest that is healthy and not impacted by Ips typographus; Disturbed forest that was impacted by Ips typographus, left to regenerate naturally, and from which deadwood was not removed; and Salvaged forest that was heavily impacted by Ips typographus with the same consequences, but from which deadwood was removed, creating a treeless forest meadow. Intact forest that is healthy and not impacted by Ips typographus; Disturbed forest that was impacted by Ips typographus, left to regenerate naturally, and from which deadwood was not removed; and Salvaged forest that was heavily impacted by Ips typographus with the same consequences, but from which deadwood was removed, creating a treeless forest meadow. To analyze the impacts these different forest management strategies have on the aquatic insect communities, 30 samples from 11 different streams were taken using kick-sampling. Operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified by bulk metabarcoding of dried, ground samples. A mock community was used to verify the setup and a DNA spike-in with three foreign OTUs was added to each sample to measure the biases introduced by PCR amplification and sequencing. Biases varied across samples, but spike-in OTUs produced a pattern indicating predictable biases which could lead to quantifiable metabarcoding results in the future. In total, 260 macroinvertebrate OTUs were identified. In comparison, a morphological study by Bojková et al. (2018) in the same region with twice the number of sampling sites collected 194 taxa in the same month as our samples. This underlines the potential for metabarcoding in evaluating species richness. Species richness was high across all habitats. A significant difference between the forest conditions was detected: The number of detected Diptera OTUs was lowest in disturbed habitats (55) and highest in salvaged areas (73). A permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) indicated that habitat (i.e., intact, disturbed, salvaged) had an effect on the observed OTU distribution (9.2%), but that the stream catchment had a much larger effect (39.3%) regardless of the habitat. Our findings indicate that forest management can affect stream macroinvertebrate communities, and that this was most pronounced for the Diptera, a group for which DNA metabarcoding is particularly well suited because of their small size and high diversity.

Some biological traits of the parasitoid wasp <em>Rhopalicus tutela</em> (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) in spruce forests of Moscow Region, Russia

Some biological traits of Rhopalicus tutela (Walker), a parasitoid of the European spruce bark beetle Ips typographus (L.), were studied both in forests of Moscow Region, Russia, and under laboratory conditions. Females of R. tutela have mature eggs after overwintering and thus do not need additional feeding to lay eggs. Under laboratory conditions at 8 °C, the life expectancy of males is 58±44 days and that of females is 36±45 days. An increase of temperature shortens the developmental period of R. tutela, which can proceed without diapause. The duration of one generation in the laboratory at 22–24 °C is 14–16 days. In spruce forests of Moscow Region, R. tutela has two or three generations per year.

Bark and Ambrosia Beetles (Coleoptera, Curculionidae: Scolytinae) of Northwest Russia: History of the Study, Composition and Genesis of the Fauna

An essay of the fauna of bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) in five federal subjects of Northwest Russia is presented. The species composition of scolytids in Leningrad, Novgorod, Pskov, and Murmansk provinces as well as the Republic of Karelia is analyzed in comparison with the bark beetle faunas of adjacent Estonia and Finland. The history of investigation of the bark beetle fauna in Northwest Russia starting from the XVIII century and up to date is discussed, and modern knowledge on the regional bark beetle fauna is considered. The distribution of “northern” and “southern” bark beetle species in the region is discussed, and a southward increase in species richness is demonstrated. The genesis of the bark beetle faunas of individual provinces is analyzed with respect to the host plant distribution in the postglacial period (Holocene). It is shown that the border between the middle and the southern taiga subzones running across Leningrad Province is also the northern distribution boundary of numerous bark beetle species. Special attention is paid to expansion of several bark beetle species into Northwest Russia in the last decades caused by different factors; the northward range expansion of the small spruce bark beetle Ips amitinus (Eichhoff, 1872) and elm bark beetles from the genus Scolytus Geoffroy, 1762 is considered in more detail. The absence of monitoring of the elm bark beetle populations has led to uncontrolled reproduction of the pests, spread of Dutch elm disease, and significant economic losses. Rare bark beetle species deserving inclusion in the regional Red Data Lists are named. Attention is drawn to the insufficient knowledge of the bark beetle fauna in nature reserves and other protected areas in Northwest Russia. The damage caused by the most economically important bark beetles, namely the European spruce bark beetle Ips typographus (Linnaeus, 1758) and pine shoot beetles of the genus Tomicus Latreille, 1802, in the boreal forest zone is briefly reviewed. Some taxonomic problems which remain to be solved in order to refine the local bark beetle species lists in Northwest Russia are outlined. The contribution of researchers from St. Petersburg Forest Institute to the knowledge of bark beetle biology in the region and in the whole of Russia is specially considered.

A bark beetle infestation predictive model based on satellite data in the frame of decision support system TANABBO

The European spruce bark beetle Ips typographus L. causes significant economic losses in managed coniferous forests in Central and Northern Europe. New infestations either occur in previously undisturbed forest stands (i.e., spot initiation) or depend on proximity to previous years’ infestations (i.e., spot spreading). Early identification of newly infested trees over the forested landscape limits the effective control measures. Accurate forecasting of the spread of bark beetle infestation is crucial to plan efficient sanitation felling of infested trees and prevent further propagation of beetle-induced tree mortality. We created a predictive model of subsequent year spot initiation and spot spreading within the TANABBO decision support system. The algorithm combines open-access Landsat-based vegetation change time-series data, a digital terrain model, and forest stand characteristics. We validated predicted susceptibility to bark beetle attack (separately for spot initiation and spot spreading) against beetle infestations in managed forests in the Bohemian Forest in the Czech Republic (Central Europe) in yearly time steps from 2007 to 2010. The predictive models of susceptibility to bark beetle attack had a high degree of reliability (area under the ROC curve - AUC: 0.75-0.82). We conclude that spot initiation and spot spreading prediction modules included within the TANABBO model have the potential to help forest managers to plan sanitation felling in managed forests under pressure of bark beetle outbreak.