THE ARTHROPOD FAUNA COLLECTED FROM THE COMANDRA BLISTER RUST, CRONARTIUM COMANDRAE, ON LODGEPOLE PINE IN ALBERTA

Abstract

AbstractOne hundred and sixty species of arthropods, representing 137 insects, 19 mites, and 4 spiders, were collected or reared from the cankers of the comandra blister rust, Cronartium comandrae Peck, on lodgepole pine, Pinus contorta Dougl. var. latifolia Engelm., in southwestern Alberta. The insects damaged 40 to 60% of the cankers observed in any one year and reduced aeciospore production by 10%. Eleven orders of insects were represented, of which the Coleoptera (29 species), Lepidoptera (14), Diptera (21), and Hymenoptera (38) were the most important. Epuraea obliquus Hatch, Paracacoxenus guttatus Hardy and Wheeler, and a Mycodiplosis species appeared to be true mycetobionts. Several others which damaged the cankers, such as Pissodes schwarzi Hopk., Cylindrocopturus deleoni Buchanan, Ernobius sp., Corticaria sp., Bradysia spp., Dioryctria spp., Laspeyresia sp., Grapholitha sp. prob. caeruleana Wlshm., Eucordylea spp., Cinara spp., and Diapterobates principalis (Berlese) could be classied as mycetophiles. About half the species appeared to be mycetoxenes. New habitat or host information was obtained and several new species were collected. Several of the genera represented have been reported to occur on other pine stem rusts, which indicates that the rust cankers provide a suitable habitat for development.