Abstract
Larval and adult life stages are described for Contortylenchus brevicomi (Massey) Riihm parasitizing a Mississippi population of Dendroctonus frontalis, the southern pine beetle. Fourth-stage larvae and free-living adult females of this species are identified and described for
the first time. The life cycle of C. brevicomi can be reconstructed from this study. The adult female nematode lays eggs in a mature beetle. Larval development progresses within the hemocoel until fourth-stage larvae exit the host. Mating occurs in beetle galleries and only females enter an immature beetle host.
Keywords
nematode-insect interaction, Scolytidae.