Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of Environmental Conditions on Flight Capacity in Mountain Pine Beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae)

  • Published:
Journal of Insect Behavior Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) is a major pest of pine (Pinaceae) in western North America. Mountain pine beetle has an obligatory dispersal phase during which beetles fly in search of new hosts to colonize. Climatic factors may influence dispersal in the expanding geographic range of the mountain pine beetle. This study tests mountain pine beetle flight capacity in the laboratory under different abiotic conditions including temperature, light and wind speed. Beetle flight capacity was tested under different temperatures before and during flight and different light regimes in separate computer-linked flight mill bioassays. A wind tunnel experiment tested the effect of wind speed on beetle flight. Pre-flight temperature and temperature during flight did not affect beetle flight capacity (distance or duration). Beetles do, however, use more energy during flight at high temperatures, which could affect host colonization following dispersal by flight of mountain pine beetle in nature. Beetles fly a greater distance and longer duration during a long (18 h) than short (16 h) photophase, suggesting that increased day length with a northern range expansion could affect beetle flight capacity. Although wind speed does not affect flight probability or duration, it affects the number of flights and flight patterns of mountain pine beetles.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Atkins MD (1966) Laboratory studies on the behavior of the Douglas-fir beetle, Dendroctonus pseudotsugae Hopkins. Can Entomol 98:953–991

    Google Scholar 

  • Aukema BH, Carroll AL, Zhu J, Raffa KF, Sickley TA, Taylor SW (2006) Landscape level analysis of mountain pine beetle in British Columbia, Canada: spatiotemporal development and spatial synchrony within the present outbreak. Ecography 29:427–441

    Google Scholar 

  • Bates D, Maechler M, Bolker B, Walker S (2015) Fitting linear mixed-effects models using lme4. J Stat Softw 67:1–48

    Google Scholar 

  • Bjornstad ON (2002) Waves of Larch budmoth outbreaks in the European Alps. Science 298:1020–1023

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bowler DE, Benton TG (2005) Causes and consequences of animal dispersal strategies: relating individual behaviour to spatial dynamics. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 80:205–225

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chen H, Jackson PL (2017) Climatic conditions for emergence and flight of mountain pine beetle: implications for long-distance dispersal. Can J For Res 47:974–984

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen H, Li Z, Tang M (2010) Laboratory evaluation of flight activity of Dendroctonus armandi (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae). Can Entomol 142:378–387

    Google Scholar 

  • Choudhury JH, Kennedy JS (1980) Light versus pheromone bearing wind in the control of flight direction by bark beetles, Scolytus multistriatus. Physiol Entomol 5:207–214

    Google Scholar 

  • Chubaty AM, Hart M, Roitberg BD (2014) “To tree or not to tree”: The role of energy limitation on host tree acceptance in a bark beetle. Evol Ecol Res 16:337–349

    Google Scholar 

  • Chubaty AM, Roitberg BD, Li C (2009) A dynamic host selection model for mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins. Ecol Model 220:1241–1250

    Google Scholar 

  • Clobert J, Baguette M, BentonTG, Bullock JM (2012) Dispersal ecology and evolution. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Coster JE, Gara RI (1968) Studies on the attack behavior of the southern pine beetle. 2. Response to attractive host material. Contrib Boyce Thompson Inst Plant Res 24:69–75

    Google Scholar 

  • Cullingham CI, Cooke JEK, Dang S, Davis CS, Cooke BJ, Coltman DW (2011) Mountain pine beetle host-range expansion threatens the boreal forest. Mol Ecol 20:2157–2171

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Dingle H (1996) Migration: The biology of life on the move. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Dingle H (2001) The evolution of migratory syndromes in insects. In: Woiwod IP, Reynolds DR, Thomas CD (eds) Insect movement: mechanisms and consequences, 2nd edn. CABI Publishing, New York, pp 159–182

  • Dingle H, Drake V (2007) What is migration? Bioscience 57:113–121

    Google Scholar 

  • de la Giroday HMC, Carroll AL, Aukema BH (2012) Breach of the northern Rocky Mountain geoclimatic barrier: Initiation of range expansion by the mountain pine beetle. J Biogeogr 39:1112–1123

    Google Scholar 

  • Elkin CM, Reid ML (2005) Low energy reserves and energy allocation decisions affect reproduction by mountain pine beetles, Dendroctonus ponderosae. Funct Ecol 19:102–109

    Google Scholar 

  • Elliott CG, Evenden ML (2012) The effect of flight on reproduction in an outbreaking forest lepidopteran. Physiol Entomol 37:219–226

    Google Scholar 

  • Evenden ML, Whitehouse CM, Sykes J (2014) Factors influencing flight capacity of the mountain pine beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae : Scolytinae). Environ Ecol 43:187–196

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gara RI, Vite JP (1962) Studies on the flight patterns of bark beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) in second growth ponderosa pine forests. Contrib Boyce Thompson Inst Plant Res 21:275–289

    Google Scholar 

  • Gitau CW, Bashford R, Carnegie AJ, Gurr GM (2013) A review of semio- chemicals associated with bark beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) pests of coniferous trees: a focus on beetle interactions with other pests and their associates. For Ecol Manage 297:1–14

    Google Scholar 

  • Goodsman DW, Koch D, Whitehouse C, Evenden ML, Cooke BJ, Lewis MA (2016) Aggregation and a strong Allee effect in a cooperative outbreak insect. Ecol Appl 26:2623–2636

    Google Scholar 

  • Gray B, Billings RF, Gara RI, Johnsey RL (1972) On the emergence and initial flight behavior of the mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae, in eastern Washington. Zeitschrift fur Angew Entomol 71:250–259

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanski I, Saastamoinen M, Ovaskainen O (2006) Dispersal-related life-history trade-offs in a butterfly metapopulation. J Anim Ecol 75:91–100

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hartig F (2018) DHARMa: residual diagnostics for hierarchical (multi-level/mixed) regression models. R package version 0.2.0. http://florianhartig.github.io/DHARMa. Accessed 20 January 2020

  • Henson WR (1962) Laboratory studies on the adult behavior of Conophthorus coniperda (Coleoptera: Scolytidae). III. Flight. Ann Entomol Soc Am 55:524–530

    Google Scholar 

  • History of Mountain pine beetle infestation in B.C. Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/farming-natural-resources-and-industry/forestry/forest-health/bark-beetles/history_of_the_mountain_pine_beetle_infestation.pdf. Accessed 20 Jan 2020

  • Jackson PL, Straussfogel D, Lindgren BS, Mitchell S, Murphy B (2008) Radar observation and aerial capture of mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopk. (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) in flight above the forest canopy. Can J For Res 38:2313–2327

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson CG (1969) Migration and Dispersal of insects by flight. Methuen & Co. Ltd, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones KL, Shegelski VA, Marculis NG, Wijerathna AN, Evenden ML (2019) Factors influencing dispersal by flight in bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae): from genes to landscapes. Can J Forest Res 49:1024–1041

    Google Scholar 

  • Lambin X, Aars J, Piertne SB (2001) Dispersal, intraspecific competition, kin competition and kin facilitation: a review of the empirical evidence. In: Clobert J, Danchin E, Dhondt AA, Nichols JD (eds) Dispersal. Oxford University Press, New York, pp 261–272

    Google Scholar 

  • Latty TM, Reid ML (2010) Who goes first? Condition and danger dependent pioneering in a group-living bark beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 64:639–646

    Google Scholar 

  • Lobinger G, Skatulla U (1996) Untersuchungen zum Ein uss von Sonnenlicht auf das Schwärmverhalten von Borken- käfern. Anzeiger für Schädlingskunde, P anzenschutz, Umweltschutz 69:183–185

  • Loxdale HD, Lushai G (1999) Slaves of the environment: the movement of herbivorous insects in relation to their ecology and genotype. Physiol Trans Bio Sci 354:1479–1495

    Google Scholar 

  • Lusebrink I, Erbilgin N, Evenden ML (2013) The lodgepole x jack pine hybrid zone in Alberta, Canada: A stepping stone for the mountain pine beetle on its journey east across the boreal forest? J Chem Ecol 39:1209–1220

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lyon RL (1958) A useful secondary sex character in Dendroctonus bark beetles. Can Entomol 90:582–584

    Google Scholar 

  • McCambridge W (1971) Temperature limits of flight of the mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae. Ann Entomol Soc Am 64:534–535

    Google Scholar 

  • McCauley SJ, Rowe L (2010) Notonecta exhibit threat-sensitive, predator-induced dispersal. Biol Lett 6:449–452

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • McMullen LH, Atkins MD (1962) On the flight and host selection of the Douglasfir beetle, Dendroctonus pseudotsugae Hopk. (Coleoptera: Scolytidae). Can Entomol 94:1309–1325

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyer HJ, Norris DM (1973) A mathematical relation to describe the influence of wind on the initial flight dispersal of Scolytus multistiatus (Coleoptera: Scolytidae). Annu Entomol Soc Am 66:505–508

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller JM, Keen FP (1960) Biology and control of the western pine beetle: a summary of the first fifty years of research. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • Murphy BD, Jackson PL, Lindgren BS (2004) A synoptic climatology for emergence and flight of the mountain pine beetle. University of Northern British Columbia. http://cirrus.unbc.ca/mpbi/docs/mpbi-annual-report-jackson-2004-05-07.pdf. Accessed 18 Feb 2020

  • Nathan R, Perry G, Cronin JT, Strand AE, Cain ML (2003) Methods for estimating long-distance dispersal. Oikos 103:261–273

    Google Scholar 

  • Pitman (1968) Bark beetle attractants: trans-verbenole isolated from Dendroctonus. Nature 218:168–169

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pureswaran DS, Borden JH (2005) Primary attraction and kairomonal host discrimination in three species of Dendroctonus (Coleoptera: Scolytidae). Agric For Entomol 7:219–230

    Google Scholar 

  • Pureswaran DS, Gries R, Borden JH, Pierce HD Jr (2000) Dynamics of pheromone production and communication in the mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins, and the pine engraver, Ips pini (Say)(Coleoptera: Scolytidae). Chemoecology 10:153–168

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • R Core Team (2018) R: a language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria. https://www.R-project.org/

  • Rasmussen LA (1974) Flight and attack behavior of mountain pine beetles in lodgepole pine of northern Utah and southern Idaho. US Dept. Agri Forest Service, Utah

    Google Scholar 

  • Reid ML, Sekhon JK, LaFramboise LM (2017) Toxicity of monoterpene structure, diversity and concentration to mountain pine beetles, Dendroctonus ponderosae: beetle traits matter more. J Chem Ecol 43:351–361

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Robertson C, Nelson TA, Boots B (2007) Mountain pine beetle dispersal: The spatial-temporal interaction of infestations. For Sci 53:395–405

    Google Scholar 

  • Robertson IC, Roitberg BD (1998) Duration of paternal care in pine engraver beetles: why do larger males care less? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 43:379–386

    Google Scholar 

  • Rudinsky J (1962) Ecology of scolytidae. Annu Rev Entomol 7:327–348

    Google Scholar 

  • Rudinsky JA, Vite JP (1956) Effects of temperature upon the activity and the behavior of the Douglas-fir beetle. For Sci 2:257–67

    Google Scholar 

  • Russell VL (2016) Least-squares means: the R package lsmeans. J Stat Softw 69:1–33

    Google Scholar 

  • Safranyik L (1976) Size- and sex-related emergence, and survival in cold storage, of mountain pine beetle adults. Can Entomol 108:209–212

    Google Scholar 

  • Safranyik L (1989) An empirical approach to modeling the local dispersal of the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopk.) (Coleoptera; Scolytidae) in relation to sources of atrraction, wind direction and speed. J Appl Ent 108:498–511

    Google Scholar 

  • Safranyik L, Carroll AL, Régnière J, Langor DW, Riel WG, Shore TL, Peter B, Cooke BJ, Nealis VG, Taylor SW (2010) Potential for range expansion of mountain pine beetle into the boreal forest of North America. Can Entomol 142:415–442

    Google Scholar 

  • Safranyik L, Linto D, Silversides R, McMullen L (1992) Dispersal of released mountain pine beetles under the canopy of a mature lodgepole pine stand. J Appl Entomol 113:441–450

    Google Scholar 

  • Seybert RF, Gara RI (1970) Notes on flight and host-selection behavior of pine engraver, Ips pini (Coleoptera: Scolytidae). Can Entomol 98:507–518

    Google Scholar 

  • Shepherd RF (1966) Factors influencing the orientation and rates of activity of Dendroctonus portderosae Hopkins (Coleoptera: Scolytidae). Can Entomol 98:507–518

    Google Scholar 

  • Sturtevant BR, Achtemeier GL, Charney JJ, Anderson DP, Cooke BJ, Townsend PA (2013) Long-distance dispersal of spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana Clemens) in Minnesota (USA) and Ontario (Canada) via the atmospheric pathway. Agric For Meteorol 168:186–200

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor RAJ, Bauer LS, Poland TM, Windell KN (2010) Flight performance of Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) on a flight mill and in free flight. J Insect Behav 23:128–148

    Google Scholar 

  • Tukey JW (1977) Exploratory data analysis. Addison-Wesley, Boston

    Google Scholar 

  • Weber BC (1982) The biology of the ambrosia beetle Xylosandrus germanus (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) and its effects on black walnut. Dissertation, Southern Illinois University

  • Weisser WW (2001) The effects of predation on dispersal. In: Clobert J, Danchin E, Dhondt AA, Nichols JD (eds) Dispersal. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 180–190

    Google Scholar 

  • Wermelinger B (2004) Ecology and management of the spruce bark beetle Ips typographus. A review of recent research . For Ecol Manag 202:67–82

    Google Scholar 

  • Wijerathna A, Evenden M (2019) Energy use by the mountain pine beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) for dispersal by flight. Physiol Entomol 44:200–208

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wijerathna A, Whitehouse C, Proctor H, Evenden M (2019) Testing for trade-offs between flight and reproduction in the mountain pine beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) on two pine (Pinaceae) hosts. Can Entomol 151:298–310

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams WI, Robertson IC (2008) Using automated flight mills to manipulate fat reserves in Douglas-fir beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Environ Entomol 37:850–856

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Xu L, Shi Z, Wang B, Lu M, Sun J (2016) Pine defensive monoterpene α-pinene influences the feeding behavior of Dendroctonus valens and its gut bacterial community structure. I J Mol Sci 17:1734. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms17111734

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zera AJ (2009) Wing polymorphism in Gryllus. Gryllidae): proximate endrocine, Orthoptera energetic and biochemical mechanisms underlying morph specializtion for flight vs. reproduction. In: Whitman DW, Ananthakrishnan TN (eds) Phenotypic plast insects mechanisms and consequances. Science Publishers Inc., Enfield, pp 609–653

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank Devin Letourneau of Alberta Agriculture and Forestry for tree bolts and Jackson Lai for conducting the wind speed flight bioassay. This research was supported by a grant to Maya Evenden from the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (grant no. NET GP 434810-12) to the TRIA Network, with contributions from Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, fRI Research, Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship, Natural Resources Canada - Canadian Forest Service, Northwest Territories Environment and Natural Resources, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment, West Fraser and Weyerhaeuser. Research presented in this manuscript followed all applicable laws and rules set forth by provincial and federal governments and the University of Alberta and all necessary permits were held when the research was conducted.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW 405 Biological Sciences Building, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada

    Asha Wijerathna & Maya Evenden

Authors
  1. Asha Wijerathna
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Maya Evenden
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Asha Wijerathna.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wijerathna, A., Evenden, M. Effect of Environmental Conditions on Flight Capacity in Mountain Pine Beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae). J Insect Behav 33, 201–215 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-020-09760-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-020-09760-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation