About SPB

Here you'll find background information about the biology, ecology, and impacts (both economic and environmental) of southern pine beetles.

Bark Beetle Identification

Interactive web-based identification system for identifying bark beetles.

Bark and Wood Infesting Insects

Click on this link to hear an audio presentation linked to Microsoft Powerpoint summarizing the basic biology of bark and wood infesting insects. The narrator is Dr. Scott Salom, a professor in the Department of Entomology at Virginia Tech. Please note: Macromedia Flashplayer is required to view this presentation. Flashplayer is available at the Macromedia website.

Insects Associated with SPB

This links to the USDA's Agriculture Handbook No. 563, How to Identify Common Insect Associates of the Southern Pine Beetle

SPB Fact Sheets:

Alabama: Brief description of SPB biology and identification from the Alabama Cooperative Extension.
Florida: Basic information on the biology and management of SPB from the University of Florida.
Georgia: Basic information on the biology, ecology and control of SPB from the University of Georgia.
Kentucky: Basic information on the life cycle and management of SPB from the University of Kentucky.
Maryland: Brief information on biology of SPB and its activity in Maryland in the early 1990's from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
New Jersey: Description of SPB biology from the NJ Division of Parks and Forestry.
North Carolina: Information on SPB in North Carolina.
Ohio: Brief description of biology and a recent outbreak of SPB in Ohio by the Ohio Chapter of the Society of American Foresters.
South Carolina: Brief information on the identification and control of SPB from Clemson University.
Tennessee: Information on SPB biology, how to determine if you have SPB and an update on recent losses due to SPB.
Texas: Click on "Southern Pine Beetle" on the Texas Forest Service's website for more information about this pest in Texas.
USDA Forest Service: Brief information on the basic biology and management of SPB from the the USDA Forest Service.
Virginia: Basic information on the biology, ecology, and management of SPB from Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech.

The Southern Pine Beetle, an on-line book

This link will take you to The Southern Pine Beetle, an informative on-line book published by Bugwood at the University of Georgia and edited by R. C. Thatcher, J. L. Searcy, J. E. Coster, and G. D. Hertel.

Subject Reviews:

Chemical Ecology of SPB: Southern Pine Beetle, Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann (Coleoptera: Scolytidae): Quantitative Analysis of Chiral Semiochemicals by Dr. Donald Grosman. Click here for the PDF version!
Interactions among SPB, Mites and Fungi.: A detailed presentation of the interaction of bark beetles, mites and fungi by Dr. Kier Klepzig and others. Click here for the PDF version!
IPM for the Southern Pine Beetle: Summary of southern pine beetle IPM by Dr. Stephen Clarke of the USDA Forest Service.
Tree Resistance to SPB: Mechanisms of host resistance to the southern pine beetle by Drs. T. Nebeker, J. Hodges and C. Blanche. Click here for the pdf version.