''Phloeosinus aubei'' is a species of

bark beetle A bark beetle is the common name for the subfamily of beetles Scolytinae. Previously, this was considered a distinct family (Scolytidae), but is now understood to be a specialized clade of the "true weevil" family (Curculionidae). Although the ...

in the family

Curculionidae The Curculionidae are a family of weevils, commonly called snout beetles or true weevils. They are one of the largest animal families, with 6,800 genera and 83,000 species described worldwide. They are the sister group to the family Brentidae. T ...

. It is commonly known as the cedar bark beetle, eastern juniper bark beetle, or small cypress bark beetle.

Description

Adult members of ''Phloeosinus aubei'' are 2-2.7 millimeters (mm) long. Its dorsum has many small points and small hairs. The

thorax The thorax or chest is a part of the anatomy of humans, mammals, and other tetrapod animals located between the neck and the abdomen. In insects, crustaceans, and the extinct trilobites, the thorax is one of the three main divisions of the cre ...

is a darker color than the elytra, and it has clearly visible stripes that run front to back. Larvae of the species are a whitish color with a brown head.

Distribution and habitat

''Phloeosinus aubei'' is native to the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historically ...

Anatolia Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...

, and around the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

from

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. Over the past century, the species' distribution has expanded northward into Central Europe due to climate change and more susceptible host populations, and it is now considered an

invasive species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...

in several Central European nations. For example, it has been present in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

since at least the 1950s, and is now widely distributed across the country.

Ecology

''Phloeosinus aubei'' is an invasive pest species which damages or possibly kills its host trees, which are typically

cypresses Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs of northern temperate regions that belong to the family Cupressaceae. The word ''cypress'' is derived from Old French ''cipres'', which was imported from Latin ''cypressus'', the la ...

, junipers, and thujas. The beetle is capable of flying up to , and has strong dispersal capabilities and ability to locate its host trees. In the Czech Republic, it is typically found in the common juniper, '' Juniperus communis'', and it is considered to be a threat to that species, which is near-threatened. ''P. aubei'' has several natural parasites. '' Dendrosoter protuberans'' and '' Theocolax phloeosini'' parasitize the species at all stages of its life, while '' Eurytoma morio'' parasitizes the

larvae A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...

and

pupae A pupa ( la, pupa, "doll"; plural: ''pupae'') is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation between immature and mature stages. Insects that go through a pupal stage are holometabolous: they go through four distinct stages in their ...

. ''P. aubei'' is a vector for pathogens, including the cypress canker, ''

Seiridium cardinale ''Seiridium cardinale'' is a species of fungus. It is the primary cause of Cypress canker Cypress canker is a disease affecting ''Cupressus'' species, caused by one of several species of fungus in the genus ''Seiridium''. Infection causes die ...

''.

References

Scolytinae {{Improve categories, date=May 2022