Phoretic mite communities associated with bark beetles in the maritime and stone pine forests of Setúbal, Portugal

Sneha Vissa, Richard W. Hofstetter, Luis Bonifácio, Alexander Khaustov, Wayne Knee, Derek A. Uhey

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

The phoretic mite communities of prominent bark beetle pests associated with pine stands of southern Portugal were sampled to determine whether they vary across bark beetle species and stand type. Bark beetles were sampled for mites from two primary (aggressive) bark beetle species (Ips sexdentatus and Orthotomicus erosus) and the most common secondary species (Hylurgus ligniperda) in maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) and stone pine (Pinus pinea) in the Setúbal province of Portugal. Twelve mite species, spanning diverse ecological roles, are found associated with these bark beetle systems. The relative abundances of the 12 species that make up the phoretic mite communities of maritime and stone pine varied significantly between host beetle species as well as between stand type, indicating that the phoretic host and dominant tree type are important drivers of mite community composition. The functional roles of these mites are outlined and their ecological significance in pine forest ecosystems is discussed.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)117-131
Number of pages15
JournalExperimental and Applied Acarology
Volume77
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 1 2019

Keywords

  • Acari
  • Community
  • Maritime pine
  • Scolytinae
  • Stone pine

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ecology
  • Insect Science

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