An attack of Ips amitinus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) on arboretum in West Siberia: New host of invasive bark beetle among exotic conifers

Invasive populations of small spruce bark beetle Ips amitinus were first registered in 2019 in the southeast of Western Siberia. In natural stands of Siberian pine (Pinus sibirica Du Tour), several hundred hectares of outbreak foci of the alien bark beetle were identified. In 2020, a local focus of the bark beetle was found in the conifer collection in the arboretum Kedr of the Institute of Monitoring Climatic and Ecological Systems SB RAS, 30 km from Tomsk. The bark beetle caused the main damage to the collection of pines. I. amitinus colonized both host plants Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and mountain pine (Pinus mugo Turra), which were previously known to it in the native range in Europe, and the local Siberian species Siberian pine (Pinus sibirica Du Tour), Siberian spruce (Picea obovata Ledeb.) and introduced Far Eastern Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis Sieb. et Zucc.). Demographic characteristics of I. amitinus studied on damaged trees indicate its high reproduction potential in Siberia. The bark beetle outbreak focus was suppressed; however, this plantation requires further annual monitoring of pest abundance and distribution, both to preserve the scientific dendroecological field station and to study the implementation of sential plant conception in relation to the invasion of I. amitinus.

Automated summary

Invasive populations of small spruce bark beetle Ips amitinus were first registered in the southeast of Western Siberia in 2019. The beetle caused significant damage to pine collections in a local arboretum in 2020, necessitating ongoing monitoring to protect plant species and understand the impact of the invasion.