Temperature-dependent development of the European larch bark beetle, Ips cembrae

The temperature-dependent development of the European larch bark beetle, Ips cembrae, was studied under long-day conditions L:D 16:8 at three temperature regimes, 15 degrees C, 20 degrees C and 25 degrees C, using the sandwich plate method. By observing the individual developmental progress, we calculated the developmental times and lower developmental thresholds of one entire generation and various ontogenetic stages. The mean developmental time of one generation was about 120, 64 and 37days at 15 degrees C, 20 degrees C and 25 degrees C, respectively. The egg stage comprised about 9% of the total development or about 16% of the pre-imaginal development. The larval stages took about 39% of the entire and about 66% of the pre-imaginal development. The pupal stage needed about 11% of the total or about 18% of the pre-imaginal development. The lower developmental threshold for one generation was 11.2 degrees C. The egg stage had the highest lower developmental threshold of 12.0 degrees C, the pupa the lowest of 9.8 degrees C and the total larval stages showed a value of 11.2 degrees C. The thermal requirements for I.cembrae have never been studied in detail before. The results will be a valuable contribution for monitoring and risk assessment models to estimate the beetle's phenology and its potential impacts on forest ecosystems under changing climate conditions.