Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gxg78 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T08:51:15.152Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Observations on the biology of some tropical rain forest Scolytidae (Coleo-ptera) from Fiji: I. Subfamilies—Hylesininae, Ipinae (excluding xyleborini)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

Hywel Roberts
Hywel Roberts
Affiliation:
Greystones, Woodfields Road, Dursley, Gloucestershire, U.K.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The biology of seventeen common species of rain forest bark beetles was studied during a six month visit to Fiji in 1973. Geographical and altitude ranges, and host plants are given; breeding galleries and brood composition are described in detail, and the significance of competitors, associates, and parasites is noted. The biology of an Ozodendron sp. is described for the first time, and of Cryphalomorphus sp. for the first time outside Africa. Most Fijian bark beetles show strong host preferences, and some of the most common endemics, such as Cryphalomorphus grosse-punctatus Browne, Hypocryphalus laticollis Browne and Ozodendron fijianus (Schedl) are apparently host specific. Among dominant trees of the rain forest only Myrtaceae and conifers (Dacrydium, Podocarpus), which are thin barked, are apparently free of bark beetles. Of note among biological features is the habit, not previously recorded for tropical bark beetles, of packing the egg galleries with frass after egg-laying has finished. Five species are potential pests of pines—Cryphalus variolosus Schedl, Cyrtogenius granulifer (Beeson), Ozodendron fijianus (Schedl), Poecilips cyperi (Beeson), P. fijianus Schedl. All were taken in endemic Pinaceae, and some in Pinus plantations as well. Lying within the tropical hurricane belt, living coniferous exotics in Fiji are potentially vulnerable to bark beetle attack when trees are under stress, as often occurs in the dry season.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 66 , Issue 3 , September 1976 , pp. 373 - 388
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1976

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Beaver, R. A. (1976). The biology of Samoan bark and ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae and Platypodidae).—Bull. ent. Res. 65, 531–548.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beeson, C. F. C. (1938). Check list of the Scolytidae and Platypodidae of Oceania.—J. fed. Malay St. Mus. 18: 287–98.Google Scholar
Beeson, C. F. C. (1941). The ecology and control of the forest insects of India and the neighbouring countries.—1007 pp. Dehra Dun.Google Scholar
Berry, M. J. & Howard, W. J. (1973). Fiji forest inventory. Vol. I.—Land Resour. Stud. No. 12, 98 pp.Google Scholar
Browne, F. G. (1961). The biology of Malayan Scolytidae and Platypodidae.—Malay Forest Rec. no. 22, 255 pp.Google Scholar
Browne, F. G. (1974). A summary of the scolytid fauna (Coleoptera) of Fiji, with some new species.—Commonw. For. Rev. 53, 63–71.Google Scholar
Gray, B. (1974). Forest insect problems in the South Pacific Islands.—Commonw. For. Rev. 53, 39–48.Google Scholar
Murayama, J. J. (1963). Studies in the Scolytid fauna of the northern half of the Far East. 72 pp., Fukuoka, U.S.National Science Foundation.Google Scholar
Parham, J. W. (1972). Plants of the Fiji Islands.—462 pp. Suva Government Press.Google Scholar
Roberts, H. (1976). Observations on the biology of some tropical rain forest Scolytidae (Coleoptera) from Fiji: II Ipinae—Tribe Xyleborini.—J. nat. Hist, (in press).Google Scholar
Schedl, K. E. (1950). Fauna Fijiana (Scolytoidea).—Occ. Pap. Bernice P. Bishop Mus., no. 20, 35–54.Google Scholar
Schedl, K. E. (1955). Borken- und Ambrosiakäfer des Museums Frey (I. Teil). 149. Beitrag zur Morphologie und Systematik der Scolytoidea.—Ent. Arb. Mus. Georg Frey 6, 267–276.Google Scholar
Schedl, K. E. (1965). Scolytidae und Platypodidae Afrikas, Band III.—Revta Ent. Moçamb. 5, (1962) 595–1352.Google Scholar
Wood, S. L. (1960). Insects of Micronesia. Coleoptera: Platypodidae and Scolytidae.—Insects Micronesia 18, 1–73.Google Scholar