Temperature-Dependent Development of the Mountain Pine Beetle (Coleoptera : Scolytidae) and Simulation of its Phenology

Temperature-dependent development of the egg, larval, and pupal life-stages of the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) was described using data from constant-temperature laboratory experiments. A phenology model describing the effect of temperature on the temporal distribution of the life-stages was developed using these data. Phloem temperatures recorded in a beetle-infested lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Douglas) were used as input to run the model. Results from model simulations suggest that inherent temperature thresholds in each life-stage help to synchronize population dynamics with seasonal climatic changes. This basic phenological information and the developed model will facilitate both research and management endeavors aimed at reducing losses in lodgepole pine stands caused by mountain pine beetle infestations