Dendroctonus

Type species

Bostrichus micans Kugelann

Adapted from Wood 1982, p. 150-199

Diagnosis

In North America, species of the genus Dendroctonus can be distinguished from the introduced Tomicina, Hylurgus Latreille and Tomicus Latreille, and the native Xylechinus Chapuis, by the anterior margin of their compound eye. The genus includes some of the largest specimens of North American Scolytinae.

Description

This genus includes North American specimens with the larger size, ranging from 2.5 to 9.0 mm in length and approximately 2.3 to 2.6 times as long as wide. Their body color is dark brown to black, some species with reddish brown elytraelytra:
the two external and hardened or sclerotized forewings of adult Coleoptera, often appearing leather-like in texture
. The pronotumpronotum:
the upper or dorsal surface of the first thoracic segment
is wider than long and unarmedunarmed:
having no granules, teeth, tubercles, spines, or other protective structures
. The scutellumscutellum:
a shield-like bony plate or scale, as on the thorax of some insects
is small. The declivitydeclivity:
the apical portion of the beetle elytra that slopes downward
is convex with hair-like setaehair-like setae:
setae that are thin and similar to a hair
. The vestiturevestiture:
a surface covering of scales or setae on the body, wing, or other appendage
consist of erect hair-like setaehair-like setae:
setae that are thin and similar to a hair
. The anterior margin of the compound eye is entire. The scapescape:
the first and basal segment of the insect's antennae
is as long as, to slightly longer than, the 5-segmented funiclefunicle:
the antennal segments located between the scape and the club in some Coleoptera
. The clubclub:
the apical segment of the insect antennae that is enlarged or thickened such that it is anatomically differentiated from the preceding segments
is spatulatespatulate:
shaped like a spatual, typically broad at the apex and tapered at the base
with three procurvedprocurved:
pertaining to structure (antennae, setae) which is basally perpendicular to the body and whose apical part is curved anteriorly
sutures. The procoxaeprocoxae:
extra segment occasionally preceding coxa (hip joint) of the first or anterior pair of legs of arthropods
are contiguouscontiguous:
sharing an edge or boundary; touching
.

Distribution

Arctic North America to northwestern Nicaragua, Northern Europe, and Asia

World fauna

Number of species: 20, Native species: 14, Introduced species: 0

Hosts

Abies, Larix, Picea, Pinus, Pseudotsuga, Tsuga