Diapause polymorphisms shape insect life cycles, affecting their responses to seasonal environmental fluctuations. In the spruce bark beetle Ips typographus , diapause phenotypes, classified as facultative or obligate, significantly impact voltinism and thus outbreak potential, yet the genetic mechanisms underlying this trait remain incompletely understood. Here, we combined reduced‐representation genome‐wide association study...

Bark beetles play a key role in shaping forest ecosystems, and some species are among the most significant disturbance factors in coniferous forests of the Northern Hemisphere. Their ability to successfully infest living trees is closely linked to mutualistic relationships with microorganisms that help to overcome host defences or provide essential nutrients. For a deeper understanding of the effects of climate change-related...

The demographic history of species inferred from whole‐genome data provides quantitative insights into key biological parameters such as population size changes and divergence times. Reliable estimates often require data that have not been affected by selection. Extensive research, however, indicates that many species harbor multiple polymorphic chromosomal inversions, which often evolve under different selective pressures. Co...

The European spruce bark beetle Ips typographus is a widespread pest in Norway spruce-dominated forests in Eurasia. Predicting its phenology and voltinism is crucial to plan forest management measures and to mitigate mass outbreaks. Current phenology models are based on constant temperatures inferred from laboratory experiments; however, insect life cycles under natural conditions are rather driven by diurnal and seasonal temp...

The bark beetle Ips acuminatus is an important pest in pine-dominated forests of Eurasia. Recently, the frequency of I. acuminatus outbreaks and mortality of host trees have increased, most likely as a result of climate change-related alterations in environmental conditions. Therefore, detailed information on the species’ natural history is essential to understand its potential to damage forests and to apply sustainable manage...

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...

The bark beetle Ips typographus is the most destructive insect pest in Norway spruce-dominated forests. Its potential to establish multiple generations per year (multivoltinism) is one major trait that makes this beetle a severe pest. Ips typographus enters diapause to adjust its life cycle to seasonally changing environments. Diapause is characterized by developmental and reproductive arrest; it prolongs generation time and t...

Resilience and functionality of European Norway spruce forests are increasingly threatened by mass outbreaks of the bark beetle Ips typographus promoted by heat, wind throw and drought. Here, we review current knowledge on Norway spruce and I. typographus interactions from the perspective of drought-stressed trees, host selection, colonisation behaviour of beetles, with multi-level effects of symbiotic ophiostomatoid fungi. By...

Elucidating the mechanisms and conditions facilitating the formation of biodiversity are central topics in evolutionary biology. A growing number of studies imply that divergent ecological selection may often play a critical role in speciation by counteracting the homogenising effects of gene flow. Several examples involve phytophagous insects, where divergent selection pressures associated with host plant shifts may generate...