Tree defenses, host choice, and reproductive success of a native bark beetle under novel outbreak conditions.

ABSTRACT: Bark beetles of the genus Dendroctonus are some of the most important disturbance agents in North American forests, having colonized conifers for millions of years. The selection pressure posed by tree-killing bark beetles pushed trees to develop an arsenal of defensive strategies to which beetles have adapted in their turn. Recent surges in bark beetle-related tree mortality have highlighted the potential of novel climatic and landscape conditions to push tightly calibrated relationships beyond historical norms. One such example is an unprecedented outbreak of the native eastern larch beetle (ELB), Dendroctonus simplex LeConte (Coleoptera: Curculionidae; Scolytinae), that has killed eastern larch (tamarack), Larix laricina (Du Roi) K. Koch, trees across more than 460,000 ha of forest in t

SUBMITTER: Graham G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12800731 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature