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Preemergence mating in the mass-attacking bark beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2013

K.P. Bleiker*
Affiliation:
Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, 506 West Burnside Road, Victoria, British Columbia, V8Z 1M5 Canada
R.J. Heron
Affiliation:
Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, 506 West Burnside Road, Victoria, British Columbia, V8Z 1M5 Canada
E.C. Braithwaite
Affiliation:
Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, 506 West Burnside Road, Victoria, British Columbia, V8Z 1M5 Canada
G.D. Smith
Affiliation:
Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, 506 West Burnside Road, Victoria, British Columbia, V8Z 1M5 Canada
*
1Corresponding author (e-mail: [email protected]).

Abstract

The mountain pine beetle Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) kills its hosts by attacking en masse and overwhelming tree defences. Young adult beetles completing development under the bark may have the opportunity to mate with siblings or with brood from adjacent galleries prior to emerging from the natal host tree. We investigated the incidence of preemergence mating among female beetles at two locations in the recently expanded range of the insect in northern Alberta, Canada. Female beetles emerging from under the bark late in the emergence period were more likely to be mated upon emergence than beetles that emerged earlier. Delaying emergence of brood adults once they were at the teneral adult stage had little effect on the incidence of preemergence mating. The frequency of preemergence mating varied from 3–12% among female beetles. This is higher than the 1–2% reported in other studies within the historic range of the mountain pine beetle. Reasons for these differences are discussed.

Résumé

Le dendroctone du pin ponderosa, Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), tue ses hôtes par une attaque massive et l’écrasement des mécanismes de défense de l'arbre. Les jeunes coléoptères adultes qui complètent leur développement sous l’écorce peuvent avoir l'occasion de s'accoupler avec des membres de leur fratrie ou d'un couvain d'une galerie adjacente avant d’émerger de l'arbre où ils sont nés. Nous examinons l'incidence des accouplements avant l’émergence chez les coléoptères femelles en deux sites dans la nouvelle extension d'aire de l'insecte dans le nord de l'Alberta, Canada. Les coléoptères femelles qui sortent de sous l’écorce tard dans la période d’émergence sont plus susceptibles de s’être accouplés au moment de leur sortie que les coléoptères qui ont émergé plus tôt. Le retardement de l’émergence des adultes issus du couvain une fois qu'ils ont atteint le stade d'adulte ténéral a peu d'effets sur l'incidence des accouplements avant l’émergence. La fréquence des accouplements avant l’émergence varie de 3–12% chez les coléoptères femelles. Cette valeur surpasse les 1–2% signalés dans d'autres études faites sur l'aire de répartition historique du dendroctone du pin ponderosa. Nous discutons des raisons de ces différences.

Type
Behaviour & Ecology
Copyright
Copyright © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada 2013

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