We constructed a phylogeny for five species of spruce Ips using DNA sequence data from the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene. These bark beetles can have a detrimental impact on various spruce trees in urban areas and coniferous forests throughout the northern U.S. and Canada. This study aims to better resolve the relationships between these closely related species with an in depth phylogenetic analysis. We estimate gene flow between different populations and determine the amount of genetic variation amongst species. The use of neutral molecular markers, such as the intron used in this study, will yield a good estimate of time since divergence from a common ancestor. Thus, we will be able to take a biogeographical approach to analyze distribution patterns and relatedness among different populations and between similar species.