Acoustic communication of the southern pine beetle

The southern pine beetle (SPB), Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann, is the most economically damaging pest of pines in the southeastern United States, and has caused more than $2.5 billion in timber losses during the last 10 years. Studies during the 1970’s demonstrated that SPB use acoustic signals for short-range interspecific communication during the colonization of host trees, and at least four distinct types of ‘chirps’ were reported based on qualitative examination of oscillograms. We have initiated quantitative studies of oscillograms of SPB recordings to identify diagnostic characters of chirps and determine through robust statistical procedures the number of distinct chirp types and their behavioral functions. To this end, we have collected a large database of digital sound recordings of both male and female SPB infesting pine logs in the laboratory. We have developed a computer-aided procedure for rapidly analyzing digital oscillograms of SPB stridulation and objectively classifying SPB sounds.