by worego | Jun 8, 2026 | 2021-Present Publications
Abstract
The arthropods and microbes found in trees attacked by the southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann) have long been referred to as “southern pine beetle associates.” This community includes predators, parasitoids, competitors, mutualists, symbionts, and taxa whose relationship to southern pine beetle may be unclear or not well-described. We present the first systematic review of the southern pine beetle-associated community. We performed a systematic search using the Web of Science Core Collection to identify sources addressing some aspect of southern pine beetle symbiosis or facilitation. Our search returned 231 results; of these, 174 papers fit our criteria for analysis. We also incorporated 198 additional sources from field-specific journals and government publications. From each paper, we extracted taxon names for all organisms identified as southern pine beetle-associates, any description of their ecological role, and the year, location, and study methodology. Our review reveals patterns in the literature and tells the history of this line of research. We present 760 taxa that have been reported as southern pine beetle associates. Not surprisingly given its role as a key natural enemy, the predatory clerid, Thanasimus dubius (Fabricius), was the most reported southern pine beetle associate. The number of publications increased markedly in the 1970s, coinciding with major federal funding for southern pine beetle research. Using the resulting database of southern pine beetle associates and their reported roles, we explored the central question, “what is an associate?” We categorize each southern pine beetle-associate pairing as direct or indirect: these range from observed predation and parasitism (direct association) to co-occurrence in southern pine beetle-attacked trees or in funnel traps (indirect association).
Keywords
Scolytinae, ecology, parasitism , predation, phoresy
To read the full article please visit the link below:
Caroline R Kanaskie, Richard W Hofstetter, Kier D Klepzig, Fred M Stephen, Jeff R Garnas, What is an associate? A systematic review of predators, parasitoids, competitors, symbionts, and hangers-on in the southern pine beetle community, Annals of the Entomological Society of America, Volume 119, Issue 3, May 2026, Pages 108–118, https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/saag011
by worego | Jun 8, 2026 | 2021-Present Publications
Abstract
Many of the mountain summits of Acadia National Park (ACAD) are dominated by Pinus rigida (Pitch Pine). The ACAD Pitch Pine population is particularly valuable due to its position at the northernmost edge of the species’ range, its association with unique animal and plant communities, and its contribution to the aesthetics of the park. Pitch Pine is host to Dendroctonus frontalis (Southern Pine Beetle [SPB]). As the name suggests, SPB is native to the southeastern US, and can kill large numbers of healthy pines via mass-attack. With warming winters, SPB can establish and persist further north than ever before, presenting a novel and emerging threat to hard pines in New England, including Pitch Pine. While SPB has not yet been found in ACAD, SPB infestations have occurred at Fire Island National Seashore (FIIS), and individual beetles have been trapped at Cape Cod National Seashore (CACO) and as far north as Waterboro, ME. We present data recorded by temperature sensors that we set out in each park during 2023–2024. Minimum temperatures in winter 2023–2024 were not cold enough to suppress SPB population growth in ACAD, CACO, or FIIS. We assess hazards posed by advancing SPB populations to Pitch Pine in ACAD by quantifying known drivers of SPB infestation risk, including Pitch Pine stem density and basal area. We found that 66% of plots sampled in ACAD had high Pitch Pine basal area as defined by previous work on SPB risk. These areas of high-density Pitch Pine were not correlated with environmental variables like elevation or fire history. We place these findings in the context of the resist–accept–direct management framework.
Keywords
To read the full article please visit the link below:
Caroline R. Kanaskie, Mark J. Ducey, Jeff R. Garnas “Assessing the Threat of Southern Pine Beetle to Pitch Pine in Acadia National Park,” Northeastern Naturalist, 33(1), 23-43, (19 February 2026), https://doi.org/10.1656/045.033.0102
by worego | Jun 8, 2026 | 2021-Present Publications
Abstract
Insects and diseases are important disturbance agents in Canadian forests and there is concern that their impacts will intensify under climate change. Here we report on an effort to model and map the climate niches of more than 4000 forest insect and fungus species in Canada – including high-profile pest species that are already, or may soon become, established in the country. This work employs occurrence data from historical, national-scale forest insect and disease surveys, several research collections, and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). We further employ national forest inventory products (gridded maps) to summarize forest host volumes at risk of infestation by selected insect and disease species. Maps of current and projected climate suitability have been made publicly available via a web application (https://cfs.cloud.nrcan.gc.ca/bmfid/), which allows the products to be explored and downloaded. We demonstrate use of the products through examples, including brown spruce longhorn beetle (Tetropium fuscum), southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis), oak wilt (Bretziella fagacearum), and map overlays that show hotspots for bark beetles under current and projected climate. We hope this tool will help pest managers to better understand how these species may respond to projected climate change over the course of the current century.
Keywords
To read the full article please visit the link below:
Pedlar, J.H., McKenney, D.W. & Lawrence, G. Mapping the climate niches of forest insects and diseases in Canada under current and future climate. Sci Rep 15, 40996 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-24833-8
by worego | Jun 8, 2026 | 2021-Present Publications
Abstract
endo-Brevicomin, a pheromone component for tree-killing bark beetle Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann, the southern pine beetle, has a “peaked,” biphasic dose-response, being synergistic with attractants (pheromone component frontalin and host odors) at low release rates and attraction-reducing at high rates. Displacing an endo-brevicomin release device up to tens of meters from an attractant-releasing trap can increase synergistic effects. We investigated the interaction of endo-brevicomin device release rate and displacement. When one of a pair of 6 m distant, attractant-baited traps received an endo-brevicomin device varying in release rate across four orders of magnitude, catches in the endo-brevicomin amended and unamended traps peaked at the same, intermediate release of endo-brevicomin. However, catches were higher in the trap lacking endo-brevicomin at all but the lowest release rates, at which catches did not differ. When endo-brevicomin releasers were placed varying distances from an attractant-baited trap, tested release rates (0.45, 3.4, and 24 mg/d) enhanced catches at 4, 8, or 16 m distance, but, at 0 m, catch enhancement occurred only at the lowest rate and the highest rate produced catch reduction or no change. Our results indicate that endo-brevicomin releasers simultaneously produce long-range attraction-enhancing and short-range attraction-reducing effects for D. frontalis. These effects may promote switching of attack focus to adjacent hosts and propel growth of infestations. Our findings also indicate that maximum augmentation of trap catches should occur with the endo-brevicomin device displaced. Displacement short distances may preserve endo-brevicomin’s long-range attractive effects while lessening short-range inhibitory effects.
Keywords
Synergism · Biphasic · Dose-response · Trap · Displacement · Attraction
To read the full article please visit the link below:
Sullivan, B.T., Byers, J.A. & Brownie, C. Influence of Release Rate and Location of Release Devices of Pheromone Component endo-Brevicomin on Attraction of the Southern Pine Beetle. J Chem Ecol 51, 97 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-025-01653-8
by worego | Jun 8, 2026 | 2021-Present Publications
Abstract
Abiotic and biotic forest disturbances can have many impacts to forest ecosystem services, including to forest water use. Studies on impacts to forest evapotranspiration have been conducted on the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) in western North America, but not on the southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis), which is a native pest of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) and shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata), in the southeastern United States. Stressed pine trees produce pheromones that attract southern pine beetles and, with enough stressed trees, beetle populations can quickly grow to epidemic levels and attack healthy trees, which results in widespread tree mortality. This study aimed to examine the impact of southern pine beetle spots on canopy density and evapotranspiration in loblolly pine stands in the Homochitto National Forest from 2012-2021. Locations of documented beetle spots from the USDA Forest Service were used to extract normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) values using Landsat satellite observations on Google Earth Engine, and evapotranspiration data at stand level from the OpenET platform for two years pre- and post-southern pine beetle detection for comparative analysis. Results demonstrate that southern pine beetle outbreaks reduce NDVI and evapotranspiration, but also highlight that other factors (e.g., understory vegetation) can result in stand-by-stand variation in hydrologic cycle impacts. Further, this study demonstrates that satellite observations can provide critical environmental data on impacts of forest pests. By understanding the relationships between biotic disturbance agents and forest water use capability in forest ecosystems, we can improve our understanding of the impacts of forest disturbance agents on ecosystem services and possibly help direct management of forest stands impacted by these disturbances.
Keywords
Biogeochemistry Commons, Entomology Commons, Environmental Monitoring Commons, Forest Biology Commons, Forest Management Commons, Geographic Information Sciences Commons, Hydrology Commons, Remote Sensing Commons, Water Resource Management Commons
To read the full article please visit the link below:
Goodnow, Sasha; Yang, Yun; Liu, Hui; and Schulz, Ashley (2025) “Impacts of Southern Pine Beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmerman) on Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda L.) Canopy and Water Use in the Homochitto National Forest, Mississippi, USA,” Endeavors: Mississippi State Undergraduate Research Journal: Vol. 1: Iss. 1, Article 2.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55533/3071-012X.1008
