Boring Beetles and Climate Change Flashcards
explain the boring beetle morphology
- elytra
- chewing mouthparts
- strong mandible allows larva to construct tunnels in wood as they feed on starch and other compounds
- larva creates galleries
- they go from a larva to a pupa with a inactive developmental period
- complete metamorphosis
explain the insects egg laying and hatching behavior
- females taste wood to determine if there are suitable levels of moisture and starch to lay eggs
- larva hatch from eggs, burrow into wood, and begin feeding on wood
- wood provides protection for growing larva and pupa
- small pieces of sawdust (frass) is produced by the larva as they sift through the holes
explain the insects behavior as adults
- as adults emerge from the wood, they have characteristic exit holes
- adults seek out mates
- mating occurs near suitable wood
- females lay eggs in crevices or on wood surface
insect behavior - how are they important/damaging
- important for nutrient cycling and decomposition
- but can cause damage to forest
explain how climate change impacts the beetle’s behavior
- it increases the suitable habitat for the beetles
- higher temperature can increase mortality and decrease dispersal of the young
- boring beetles evolve adaptations to climate change faster than trees
- beetles target trees with decreased health due to drought
- increase in oviposition
- increased chance of becoming a pathogen vector
explain the potential ecological impacts of behavioral changes in the beetles
- decrease in bottom-up (tree defense) and top-down (predators) pressure on boring beetles
- transform forests from carbon sinks to carbon emitters
- increase in oviposition = increase in population of beetles
- beetles are vectors for fungus and can introduce more harm to trees
potential solutions for boring beetles
- maintain forest health
- use of anti-aggregation pheromones or insecticides
- “trap trees”
- encourage presence of natural enemies
- education and climate change prevention efforts
potential solutions - maintain forest health
- by addressing stressors such as drought, disease, or invasive species
- they can weaken trees and make them more susceptible to infestation
potential solutions - use of anti-aggregation pheromones or insecticides
has the potential drawback of harming native species and its harder to implement on large scales
potential solutions - “trap trees”
uses of girdled trees that draw in egg-laying females and then destroy the tree to destroys the larvae
potential solutions - encourage presence of natural enemies
such as parasitic wasps or predators like birds or other mammals
