The biology of southern pine beetle (Dendroctonous frontalis Zimmerman) in the non-traditional host species white pine (Pinus strobes)

Though its traditional host is the loblolly pine, global climate change may drive the Southern Pine Beetle (SPB) northward into the range of the white pine. We assessed the suitability of white pine as a host for SPB by measuring several biological parameters including main and larval gallery length, number of attacks, and mortality in both hosts. There were significant differences in the gallery lengths of SPB in white pine as compared to loblolly pine. This combines with several other factors to indicate the potential presence of some form of host resistance in white pine.