Ambrosiodmus lecontei Hopkins, 1915

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Type for Ambrosiodmus lecontei Hopkins, 1915
Catalog Number: USNM
Collection: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Entomology
Sex/Stage: Female; Adult
Preparation: Pinned
Collector(s): Hubbard & Schwarz
Locality: Keene; Tx, Texas, United States

  • Type: Hopkins. 1915. Report of the United States Department of Agriculture. 99: 56.
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Rights holder/AuthorThis image was obtained from the Smithsonian Institution. Unless otherwise noted, this image or its contents may be protected by international copyright laws.
Sourcehttp://collections.mnh.si.edu/search/ento/?irn=9133970

Beaver and Browne, 1978: A twig borer of considerable economic importance through its attacks on coffee, cocoa and tree seedlings. Wood, 1982: This species, known as the black twig borer, most commonly attacks healthy, vigorous twigs of living trees and shrubs. It is of primary economic importance in horticultural and ornamental plants. The adult females bore into twigs about 3 mm in diameter or larger and form a small cavity in the pith. The larvae feed mostly on the ambrosial fungus, but they also extend the pith tunnel slightly. Under favorable circumstances the life cycle may be completed in less than a month. Rabaglia et al. 2006: This non-native species is distinguished from X. germanus by the smaller size and the presence of strial setae on the declivity. Commonly known as the black twig borer, it aggressively attacks healthy twigs of living trees and shrubs in the southeastern United States, and causes significant economic impact. Wood, 2007: This is an exceedingly destructive species. It is capable of boring into the most vigorous growing, succulent twigs (1-2 cm in diameter) or a fruiting stalk, where it bores an axial pith tunnel several centimeters in length. Eggs are deposited in small clusters in the parent chamber. Larvae feed primarily on the symbiotic fungus mycelium. Growth is rapid and a life cycle may be completed in as little as two weeks. Hulcr and Cognato, 2012: Very short entrance tunnel leading into cavity of variable shape. This habit shared with related Cnestus, but not with Hadrodemius or Anisandrus, both of which create only tunnels. Beaver and Liu, 2010: The biology has been reviewed by Browne (1961), Brader (1964), Entwhistle (1972), Le Pelley (1968) and Beaver (1988) amongst others. This is a species of considerable economic importance because it can attack and breed in healthy shoots and twigs. This can result in the introduction of pathogenic fungi. The main economic host is coffee (Coffea spp.) (Rubiaceae), but it is also a pest of tea (Camellia thea) (Theaceae) in Japan, of cocoa (Theobroma cacao) (Sterculiaceae) and avocado (Persea americana) (Lauraceae) in Southeast Asia and elsewhere, and may kill seedlings and saplings of shade and forest trees (e.g. Browne 1968; Le Pelley 1968; Entwhistle 1972).

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Rights holder/Authorhulcr, Xyleborini Ambrosia Beetles
Sourcehttp://xyleborini.myspecies.info/node/46

Kirkendall and Faccoli, 2010: This species is native to east Asia but has also been established in North America. It has been found in the temperate zone of Europe. The hosts of this species are many different species of broadleaf trees as this species is polyphagous.

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Rights holder/Authorhulcr, Xyleborini Ambrosia Beetles
Sourcehttp://xyleborini.myspecies.info/node/240

Hulcr and Cognato, 2012: Strictness of mycocleptism unclear. Commonly found next to other ambrosia species in typical mycocleptic fashion, but also sometimes found unassociated with other species. Galleries in Penang, Malaysia, often started in close proximity to those of Xylosandrus mancus (Beaver and Browne, 1978). Given variation of elytra, multiple unrecognizable species may be included, with different ecology. Beaver and Liu, 2010: Hulcr and Cognato (2009) note that it sometimes makes its galleries next to other species of ambrosia beetle as a fungal parasite, but may also be unassociated with other species. Beaver and Brown, 1978: The species attacks small stems (2-4 cm in diameter). In T. whiteana, all galleries observed were started within 1-1.5 cm of galleries of Xyleborus mancus. Browne, 1961: This small pinhole borer is widely distributed and was originally discovered in East Africa, but most subsequent records have been from the Oriental region. This species is not host selective but there is a suggestion that Dipterocarpaceae, Leguminosae and Meliaceae may be attractive to it. This species attacks unhealthy, dead or cut trees infesting the small branches of about 2-8 cm but mostly 2-3 cm in diameter. It has also been found in dead transplants, but has apparently not been responsible for their death. Infestation is often heavy and the larvae live crowded together in a longitudinal tunnel in the middle of a branch. The tunnels typically show a dense growth of mycelium which Muller (1933) says is an ambrosia fungus of Monilia type. Beaver, Kajimura and Goto, 2008: This species native distribution extends from India to Sri Lanka to Taiwan and Java. It is a polyphagous ambrosia beetle and is often closely associated with other xyleborines and may be making use of the ambrosial fungi of these species.

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Rights holder/Authorhulcr, Xyleborini Ambrosia Beetles
Sourcehttp://xyleborini.myspecies.info/node/237

Hulcr and Cognato, 2012: Some SE Asian Arixyleborus are specialized on Dipterocarpaceae (Browne, 1961), others are generalists (all New Guinean species).

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Rights holder/Authorhulcr, Xyleborini Ambrosia Beetles
Sourcehttp://xyleborini.myspecies.info/node/236

Hulcr and Cognato, 2012: Widespread, common from India throughout SE Asia to Melanesia. Attracted to sap-rich hosts (Beaver & Browne, 1978). No host specificity detected by Hulcr et al. (2007b) in PNG, except preference for large and humid logs. Frequently collected from soil (Hulcr, unpubl.)

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Rights holder/Authorhulcr, Xyleborini Ambrosia Beetles
Sourcehttp://xyleborini.myspecies.info/node/239

Hulcr and Cognato, 2012: This species is not host specific. Most known Amasa excavate short tunnel leading to often large flat longitudinal brood cavity.

Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Rights holder/Authorhulcr, Xyleborini Ambrosia Beetles
Sourcehttp://xyleborini.myspecies.info/node/238

Hulcr and Cognato, 2012: Some SE Asian Arixyleborus are specialized on Dipterocarpaceae (Browne, 1961), others are generalists (all New Guinean species).

Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Rights holder/Authorhulcr, Xyleborini Ambrosia Beetles
Sourcehttp://xyleborini.myspecies.info/node/235

Beaver and Browne, 1978: A spanandrous ambrosia beetle, the gallery system with a radial entrance tunnel leading to a fairly large, narrow brood chamber in the longitudinal plane in which the larvae develop. Like the majority of Webbia, associated with Dipterocarpaceae. Stems from 4-13 cm diameter were attacked. Brood size can be large.

Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Rights holder/Authorhulcr, Xyleborini Ambrosia Beetles
Sourcehttp://xyleborini.myspecies.info/node/45
Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith