Minnesota First Detectors Mountain pine beetle What is it? Where is it? Why do we care? What is the risk? How is it managed? Photo: Blackwater, British Columbia; Brian Aukema UMN

Minnesota First Detectors Mountain pine beetle What is it? An outbreaking species of bark beetle on pine Where is it? Western North America, spreading east, especially in Canada Why do we care? If it gains Minnesota, it could outbreak in white, jack, red pine What is the risk? At this time, extremely low How is it managed? Primarily by managing the host, not the insect

Minnesota First Detectors Mountain Pine Beetle What is it? A native bark beetle that colonize trees using 1. Aggregation pheromones that attract mates – thousands of them Photo: Ewing Teen / Brian Aukema UMN

Minnesota First Detectors Mountain Pine Beetle What is it? A native bark beetle that colonize trees using 1. Aggregation pheromones that attract mates – thousands of them 2. Bluestain fungi that impede the defensive response of the tree Photo: Brian Aukema UMN

Adults (July – August) Eggs (August – September) Larvae (September – June) Pupae (June – July) New adults (July) Life Cycle

Mountain Pine Beetle Where is it? Historic distribution on lodgepole pine throughout western North America Includes the Black Hills of South Dakota (~ 600 miles from susceptible habitat In Minnesota) AZ NM CO UT OR ID WY NV WA MT BC AB YT CA SK ND Adapted from Amman and friends 1985

Minnesota First Detectors Mountain Pine Beetle Where is it? The threat to Minnesota is from the north through the Canadian boreal forest Map: Honey-Marie de la Giroday / Brian Aukema UMN Eastern white pine Lodgepole pine Red pine Jack pine Mountain pine beetle

Minnesota First Detectors Mountain Pine Beetle Threat Level: The Bad The beetle is a generalist on pines It is reproducing on lodgepole-jack pine hybrids that are more like jack pine than lodgepole Early performance data is clear: it is doing well on trees in areas not historically exposed to populations of this insect (Cudmore et al. 2010)

Minnesota First Detectors Mountain Pine Beetle Threat Level: The Good Endemic populations do not establish easily (i.e., we do not expect to find single beetles) Likely establishment route would be aerial transport of huge numbers from outbreaking source populations Likely to find first in forest vs. urban settings These are still two provinces away Aggressive management strategies in place Climatic suitabilities uncertain through Canadian boreal (e.g., for larval overwintering survival)

Minnesota First Detectors Mountain Pine Beetle Management 1. Short term prevention (beetle populations) E.g. Antiaggregation pheromones for high-value trees 2. Longer term (manage the host) Fall and burn, silvicultural solutions, prescribed fire, etc.

Minnesota First Detectors Mountain Pine Beetle Management 1. Short term prevention (beetle populations) E.g. Antiaggregation pheromones for high-value trees 2. Longer term (manage the host) Fall and burn, silvicultural solutions, prescribed fire, etc. Questions? Brian Aukema Assistant Professor Forest Entomology University of Minnesota