Morphology, Taxonomy, and Phylogenetics of Bark Beetles

This chapter summarizes the historical and contemporary taxonomy, phylogenetic relationships, morphological and molecular approaches, and information resources used in the classification of bark and ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae). The chapter pays special attention to the description of methods, including details on morphological and molecular characters on which the current classification is based. Illustrations and a detailed glossary of representative groups will allow users to understand the morphology of bark beetles. Relationships are illustrated by an up-to-date consensus phylogenetic tree. Diversity of the group, as well as individual tribes and genera, are exhaustively tabulated for the first time. Controversies surrounding the evolutionary origins of bark beetles and ambiguities in their morphology and classification are also discussed