Caroline Kanaskie
How does SPB range expansion impact insect community composition?
The problem
Southern pine beetle (SPB) outbreaks are occurring further north than ever recorded. Previous research identified natural enemies of SPB, including parasitoids, predators, and competitors, which can all help regulate SPB populations. In the northernmost outbreaks, the SPB-associated insect community was not yet investigated.
Our idea
We identified the SPB-associated insect community in the northernmost outbreak in 2018, on Long Island, New York. We compared this data with that collected in the SPB's native southern range.
Our tools
We collected bark samples from SPB-infested trees on Long Island in 2018. We then reared and identified insects from these samples. We also placed emergence traps on SPB-infested trees, and identified insects from this collection method as well.
Our team
Principal Investigators:
Project manager:
SPB community expert &
southern database steward:
Dr. Fred Stephen (U. Arkansas)
Field technicians:
Drew West & Jon Swett (UNH)
This research is the product of my Masters in Natural Resources at UNH. We found many of the key SPB-associated insects on Long island, although community composition was not the same across the SPB range when we take abundance of these species into account.
Kanaskie CR, Dodds KJ, Stephen FM, Garnas JR. 2023. Southern pine beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and its associated insect community: similarities and key differences between northeastern and southeastern pine forests. Environmental Entomology. doi: 10.1093/ee/nvad112
I am happy to share this PDF with anyone interested.
