Red Turpentine Beetle (Dendroctonus Valens)
Latin Name: Dendroctonus Valens
Common Name: Red Turpentine Beetle
Appearance:
The eggs are 1 mm (0.04 in) long, cylindrical with rounded ends, white, opaque, and shiny.
Lateral rows of pale brown tubercles appear as it grows. The larva is 10 to 12 mm (0.39 to 0.47 in) long when fully grown.
The pupa is white and exarate, with free antennae and legs that are The larva is a white grub with a brown head and abdomen tip. Not wrapped in a cocoon.
The mature beetle measures 6 to 10 mm (0.24 to 0.39 in) long and twice as broad. It is tan when it first emerges from the pupa, but it quickly turns dark reddish-brown.
Host plants:
In North America, the most frequently attacked: Are ponderosa pine, Monterey pine (Pinus radiata), Coulter pine (Pinus coulteri)
Territory:
Dendroctonus Valens, sometimes known as the red turpentine beetle, is a bark beetle species endemic to North American woodlands, Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras. It has spread to China, where it has grown invasive.
Damage caused by Red Turpentine Beetle:
The red turpentine beetle has only caused major damage to pine trees. Attacks on other conifer genera—spruce, larch, true fir, and Douglasfir—are rare and have never resulted in significant losses. Infestation can occur in injured trees, stumps, or trees near fresh lumber or slash, and remaining healthy trees adjacent may be destroyed. The Red Turpentine Beetle attacks trees that have been damaged or stressed by construction operations such as paving, grading, trenching, or root smothering. Damage from this can be avoided if none of these operations are carried out within 40-50 feet of the giant pine trees.
Life history and Habits:
The red turpentine beetle’s peak flight and attack activity occur in the spring. Beetles that emerge from freshly cut stumps and dying trees attack trees, exposed roots, and freshly cut stumps. The female bores through the outer corky bark and the inner, spongy phloem to the wood’s surface, where a male immediately joins her. The pair often bore downward. However, the gallery usually bore lateral or slightly upward at the beginning. When assaults occur close above the ground line, the gallery may spread below and with bigger roots. Boring speeds may surpass an inch per day. One pair of beetles is usually seen in each gallery, although one, three, or four adult red turpentine beetles may be present.
