Historical Spot Data

Historical Data

Southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann, SPB) is a native, eruptive forest pest that has caused significant damage to pine forests since it was first reported in the 1700’s. SPB has been found in the southeastern U.S. for decades, and was first documented as a major mortality agent in southern pine forests more than 120 years ago. Charles Zimmermann originally described the SPB in 1868, placing it in the family Hylurgidae under the tribe Hylurgi. He synonymized it with Bostrichus frontalis Fabr. in his description. This was later corrected by Le Conte (1876) and SPB was placed in the family Scolytidae. SPB is now placed within the family Curculionidae: subfamily Scolytinae. While frequent, severe, and widespread SPB outbreaks occurred throughout the Southeast in the last half of the 20th century, recent SPB activity in the region has been localized and short-lived. Reports from the mid-1800s through the mid-1900s indicated that outbreaks then were also less common.

Table

Download the SPB Outbreak Data 1960-2023 Excel file.

Maps

View animation of SPB outbreaks by year, 1960-2023.