The red-haired pine bark beetle, Hylurgus ligniperda (Fabricius), is one of the most rapidly spreading invasive forest insects. Originally from Eurasia, it has subsequently been introduced to Oceania, North, and South America. Yet, the status of H. ligniperda in East Asia is ambiguous. Here, investigation and analysis were conducted on the beetle in China, South Korea, and Japan. New occurrences in China and South Korea were recorded by field surveys and the expansion of H. ligniperda spreading in East Asia was analyzed. The results show that H. ligniperda is likely an invasive species in East Asia, initially invading Japan, then South Korea. Now it has invaded and successfully colonized Shandong province, China. Furthermore, the species has spread rapidly and it is now widely distributed in South Korea and Japan.
Scolytinae beetles serve as important regulators of ecosystem integrity. However, some of these species have been identified as important pests. The Guangdong region of China exhibits unique geographic characteristics, but is also subject to substantial anthropogenic disturbances, making it an important region for ecological research. This study was designed to assess the biodiversity and abundance of these Scolytinae beetles in subtropical areas, to define indicators associated with environmental disturbances, and to thereby provide additional valuable information that can support the conservation of the ecosystem and the monitoring and controling of pest species. For these analyses, a two-season survey of Scolytinae communities was performed across three habitats to examine the patterns of variation within these communities. These analyses revealed that environmental disturbances were associated with a drop in Scolytinae beetle population diversity, with Hypothenemus sp.2, Xyleborinus andrewesi, and Xyleborinus artestriatus offering particular value as indicators associated with severe environmental disruptions. Plant diversity and composition also impacted Scolytinae beetle communities through a range of complex mechanisms. Scolytinae beetle diversity was also found to be higher during the rainy season relative to the dry season, with beetle abundance being responsive to average temperatures, but unrelated to average relative humidity levels.
Teredus Dejean is a genus of the poorly known family Teredidae, which, historically, includes only two species, restricted to Europe and North Africa. Teredus chinensis sp. nov. is here described, representing the first member of Teredidae found in China, which significantly extends the distribution of Teredus to East Asia. The diagnostic characters and information about the wood boring beetles associated with the new species are provided.
Two new species of ambrosia beetles Xylosandrus Reitter, 1913 (Scolytinae: Xyleborini), Xylosandrus luokengensis Lin & Gao sp. nov. and Xylosandrus nanlingensis Lin & Gao sp. nov., from Guangdong Province, South China are described. Xylosandrus trunculus Park & Smith, 2020 is reported from China for the first time, and provincial records of all known Xylosandrus are provided.
The Bostrichidae is a small family of Coleoptera, with up to 600 described species all over the world. Almost 90 species of the family have been recorded in China at present and several new species of powder-post beetles have been described in recent years. Since the 1940s, the family Bostrichidae has become a neglected group in the taxonomy research of the Chinese mainland compared with its extensive territorial and super complex ecological diversity. Thus, there is need for more field specimen collection and in-depth taxonomic study. In this study, two powder-post beetles species Trogoxylon spinifrons (Lesne, 1910) and Minthea bivestita Lesne, 1937, are recorded for the first time from China. New provincial distribution records of another 18 Bostrichidae also listed.