Bark beetles (Curculionidae: Scolytinae) spend most of their life in tissues of host plants, with several species representing economically relevant pests. Their behaviour is largely guided by complex olfactory cues. The compound verbenone was discovered early in the history of bark beetle pheromone research and is now sometimes referred to as a ‘universal bark beetle repellent’. However, some studies aiming to protect trees w...

Individuals across various animal species communicate their presence to conspecifics. Especially phytophagous and parasitoid insects with their brood developing on limited resources rely on chemical cues, such as host-marking pheromones, to reduce intraspecific competition. Bark beetles are phytophagous insects with some species being economically and ecologically relevant forest pests. Several of them use the volatile compoun...

Recent outbreaks of the European spruce bark beetle ( Ips typographus ) in Norway spruce ( Picea abies ) forests in Central Europe highlight the importance of timely detection and sanitation of infested trees for pest management efficacy. This study provides novel quantitative evidence on the manifestation of infestation symptoms and their visual detectability, to guide accelerated, optimized terrestrial bark beetle monitoring...