Horizontal niche differentiation of ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae and Platypodidae) within the standing trunk of Quercus serrata

Abstract

Niche differentiation, in terms of time and space, has been reported within a community of ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae and Platypodidae) in a tree trunk. Two platypodid ambrosia beetles, Platypus quercivorus (Murray) and Platypus calamus Blandford, utilize a similar height range with respect to the Quercus serrata Murray (Fagaceae) trunk. The sapwood and heartwood (i.e., wood types) are known to differ in their physical and chemical characteristics. The objective of this study was to determine the differences among ambrosia beetles, in terms of wood type preferences, in a Q. serrata tree trunk. We analyzed the horizontal distribution patterns of ambrosia beetles within two mature Q. serrata tree trunks. Platypus calamus and the other ambrosia beetles [P. quercivorus, Ambrosiodmus lewisi (Blandford), Ambrosiophilus atratus Eichhoff, and Xyleborus sp.] showed different horizontal distribution patterns within the wood. The former tended to utilize the heartwood, whereas the latter utilized the sapwood. These results suggest that the wood type can be regarded as one of the niche dimensions of ambrosia beetles in a Q. serrata trunk.

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