• Rocky Mountain Research Station
• 240 West Prospect
• Fort Collins, CO 80526
• (970) 498-1100

Biology, Ecology and Management of Western Bark Beetles

Mission

1. Based on model simulations, climatic suitability for gypsy moth establishment in the West is predicted to dramatically increase with warming climate. Model output also shows that many areas of current introductions are not currently suitable. These results have direct management implications. Gypsy moth managers in Utah reduced the number of sentinel traps used to monitor introductions by 33%. This has resulted in substantial savings and increased efficacy.

2. Pheromone-biated funnel traps, which are routinely used to monitor bark beetle populations, were evaluated. Efficacy of traps for predicting timing of beetle flight and an estimate of bark beetle-caused tree mortality in the vicinity of the trap were tested. Our research conducted in central ID revealed that funnel traps disproportionately sample mountain pine beetle populations throughout a flight season, and are not a reliable indicator of flight timing. However, data collected in UT suggests that numbers of spruce beetle caught in a trap is highly correlated with beetle population phase and associated tree mortality This information is important to managers and researchers alike who routinely use this type of trap for monitoring bark beetle populations.

3. Mountain pine beetle population success is temperature-dependent. A west-wide analysis of climate influences on mountain pine beetle outbreak potential suggests that warmer conditions will result in reductions in population success in some areas and increased population success in other areas such as high elevation ecosystems. Preliminary analyses suggest that climate change-driven temperature shifts may also influence the symbiotic relationship between the moutain pine beetle and fungal symbionts that provide vital nutrients for developing brood.

Publications

2. Mock, K.E., B. J. Bentz, E. M. O'Neill, J. P. Chong, Wilcox, and M. E. Pfrender. In Press. Landscape-scale genetic variation in a forest outbreak species, the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae). Molecular Ecology.

3. Hansen, E.M., B.J. Bentz, A.S. Munson, J.C. Vandygriff, and D.L. Turner. In Press. Evaluation of funnel traps for estimating tree mortality and associated population phase of spruce beetle in Utah. Canadian Journal of Forest Research.

4. Wulder, M., J. White, B. Bentz, F. Alvarez, and N. Coops. 2006. Estimating the probability of mountain pine beetle red-attack damage. Remote Sensing of Environment 101:150-166.

5. Bentz, B.J. and D.L. Six. 2006. Ergosterol content of three fungal species associated with Dendroctonus ponderosae and D. rufipennis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 99(2):189-194.

6. Bentz, B.J. 2006. Mountain pine beetle population sampling: Inferences from Lindgren pheromone traps and tree emergence cages. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 36(2):351-360.

7. Wulder, M., J. White, B. Bentz, T. Ebata. 2006. Augmenting the existing survey hierarchy for mountain pine beetle red-attack damage with satellite remotely sensed data. The Forestry Chronicle 82(2):187-202.

8. Bentz, B.J., S. Kegley, K. Gibson and R. Their. 2005. A test of high-dose verbenone for stand-level protection of lodgepole and whitebark pine from mountain pine beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) attacks. Journal of Economic Entomology 98(5):1614-1621.

9. Hansen, E.M., J.C. Vandygriff, R.J. Cain, and D. Wakarchuk. 2006. Comparison of naturally and synthetically baited spruce beetle trapping systems in the central Rocky Mountains. J. Econ. Entomol. 99(2):373-382.

10. Powell, J. A., and J. A. Logan. 2005. Insect seasonality: circle map analysis of temperature-driven life cycles. Theor. Popul. Biol. 67: 161-179.

11. Hicke, J. A., J. A. Logan, J. Powell,and D S. Ojima. 2006. Changing temperatures influence suitability for modeled mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) outbreaks in the western United States, J. Geophys. Res., 111, G02019, (12 pp.).

12. Logan, J. A., J. Régnière, D. R. Gray, and A. S. Munson. 2006. Risk assessment in face of a changing environment: gypsy moth and climate change in Utah. Ecol. Appl. (in press)