Xyleborus ferrugineus

Taxonomic history

Bostrichus ferrugineus Fabricius, 1801: 388.

Xyleborus ferrugineus (Fabricius): Ferrari, 1867: 23.

Synonyms

Tomicus trypanaeoides Wollaston, 1867: 114. Browne 1955: 355; Schedl, 1960a: 9.

Xyleborus fuscatus Eichhoff, 1868a: 400. Schedl 1960a: 8.

Xyleborus confusus Eichhoff, 1868a: 401. Schedl 1957: 16.

Xyleborus retusicollis Zimmermann, 1868: 146. Bright 1968: 1312.

Xyleborus amplicollis Eichhoff, 1869: 280. Schedl 1960a: 8.

Xyleborus insularis Sharp, 1885: 193. Schedl 1941: 116.

Xyleborus tanganus Hagedorn, 1910a: 8. Schedl 1960a: 8.

Xyleborus nyssae Hopkins, 1915a: 66. Schedl 1960a: 9.

Xyleborus soltaui Hopkins, 1915a: 66. Bright 1968: 1312.

Xyleborus hopkinsi Beeson, 1929: 246. Schedl 1960a: 8.

Xyleborus argentinensis Schedl, 1931: 345. Schedl 1960a: 8.

Xyleborus rufopiceus Eggers, 1932: 303. Wood 1989: 176.

Xyleborus schedli Eggers, 1934a: 83. Schedl 1960a: 9.

Xyleborus nesianus Beeson, 1940: 200. Beaver 1991: 95.

Xyleborus notatus Eggers, 1941a: 107. Schedl 1960a: 8.

Xyleborus subitus Schedl, 1949: 280. Schedl 1960a: 9.

Diagnosis

2.5−3.1 mm long (mean = 2.84 mm; n = 5); 2.78−3.11 times as long as wide. This species is distinguished by the protibiaprotibia:
tibia of the first pair of legs
obliquely triangular, broadest at distaldistal:
situated away from the body
third; elytralelytral:
pertaining to the elytra
declivitydeclivity:
downward slope of either the pronotum or elytra
smooth, shiningshining:
appearing glossy or bright in luster; referring to a surface that is polished and reflects light well
(specimen must be dry); elytralelytral:
pertaining to the elytra
declivitydeclivity:
downward slope of either the pronotum or elytra
with a pair of prominent tuberclestubercle:
a small knob-like or rounded protuberance of the exoskeleton
on interstriaeinterstria:
longitudinal spaces along the elytra between the striae, which is not as<br /> impressed and bear smaller punctures.
3; declivitydeclivity:
downward slope of either the pronotum or elytra
distinctly sulcatesulcate:
deeply furrowed or grooved
between suture and interstriaeinterstria:
longitudinal spaces along the elytra between the striae, which is not as<br /> impressed and bear smaller punctures.
3; interstriaeinterstria:
longitudinal spaces along the elytra between the striae, which is not as<br /> impressed and bear smaller punctures.
1 armed only by a denticledenticle:
a small tooth, the sides of which are equal and the tip is above the middle of the base
at declivitaldeclivital:
pertaining to the elytral declivity
summit; and interstriaeinterstria:
longitudinal spaces along the elytra between the striae, which is not as<br /> impressed and bear smaller punctures.
2 unarmed.

May be confused with

Xyleborus affinis, X. cognatus, X. festivus, X. perforans, X. pfeilii, and X. volvulus

Distribution

Probably native to tropical America (Wood 1977Wood 1977:
Wood SL. 1977. Introduced and exported American Scolytidae (Coleoptera). The Great Basin Naturalist 37: 67-74., Gohli et al. 2016Gohli et al. 2016:
Gohli J, Selvarajah T, Kirkendall LR, Jordal BH. 2016. Globally distributed Xyleborus species reveal recurrent intercontinental dispersal in a landscape of ancient worldwide distributions. BMC Evolutionary Biology 16: 37. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-016-0610-7), but now circumtropical. Not common in the Oriental region, but more widely present than indicated by Wood and Bright (1992). Recorded in the study region only from India (West Bengal) and Taiwan.

Host plants

strongly polyphagous, with several hundred hosts recorded (Schedl 1963aSchedl 1963a:
Schedl KE. 1963a. Scolytidae und Platypodidae Afrikas. Band II. Familie Scolytidae (Fortsetzung), Unterfamilie Ipinae (Fortsetzung). Revista de Entomologia de Moccedil;ambique 5: 1-594., Ohno 1990Ohno 1990:
Ohno S. 1990. The Scolytidae and Platypodidae (Coleoptera) from Borneo found in logs at Nagoya port 1. Research Bulletin of the Plant Protection Service, Japan 26: 83-94., Ohno et al. 1988Ohno et al. 1988:
Ohno S, Yoshioka K, Yoneyama K, Nakazawa H. 1988. The Scolytidae and Platypodidae (Coleoptera) from Solomon Islands, found in logs at Nagoya port, I. Research Bulletin of the Plant Protection Service, Japan 24: 91-95., 1989)

Remarks

This species is rare in Asia. Measurements were taken from Atkinson et al. (2013). We were unable to locate any Asian specimens. Measurements were of New World specimens from Guyana, Panama, Peru, and the United States (Florida and Michigan).

The biology of the species is described by Schedl (1963a) and Entwhistle (1972). Norris (1976) summarizes studies by his group on the role of the associated ambrosia fungi in the nutrition and development of the beetle, the requirement of a fungal-produced steroid for pupation, and of associated bacteria for oocyte maturation. The species has some economic importance as a pest of cocoa (Theobroma cacao) (Malvaceae) as a vector of cocoa wilt (Entwhistle 1972Entwhistle 1972:
Entwhistle PF. 1972. Pests of cocoa. Longman, London, 779 pp.). Wood (2007) considers it one of the most destructive species of harvested timber in South America.

DNA data

Sequences available for COI from Gohli et al. (2016) including: KP941291.1; KP941288.1