OBSERVATIONS ON THE BIOLOGY OF THE AMBROSIA BEETLE GNATHOTRICHUS RETUSUS (LECONTE) (COLEOPTERA: SCOLYTIDAE)

Abstract

AbstractThe ambrosia beetle Gnathotrichus retusus (LeConte) (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) is primarily univoltine. The development of brood from eggs to adult took a minimum of 40 days in Douglas-fir logs. Brood production was proportional to gallery length. Boring activities shifted from shallow sapwood to deep sapwood over time. Gallery abandonments were mainly made by females on warm days in June and July.Gnathotrichus retusus can use both Douglas-fir and western hemlock stumps equally well for brood production. Brood emergence began in late April, peaked in late May, and ceased, with rare exceptions, in late June. The seasonal flight began in late April and had one major peak in June, with occasional catches through October when the weekly mean maximum temperature dropped below 15 °C. Brood emergence, seasonal flight, and the sex ratios of captured beetles varied with temperature. Diurnal flight showed a small peak in morning and a large peak at dusk, probably entrained mainly by light intensity and also influenced by temperature and relative humidity.