Ips sexdentatus

Large pine borer

Crops
It attacks mainly pine trees, although in some cases it can be found in other conifers.

Description
It is a small black coleopteran (beetle) that reaches a centimeter in length. The thorax is relatively large, practically hiding the head when viewed from above. It can be distinguished from other ips by the six small beaks or teeth on each side of its rear side. It develops most of its life under the bark of pine trees, so it is very rare to see outdoors.

Generations

The cycle begins in spring, when adult individuals that have spent the winter in hibernation begin to look for trees to colonize. The male looks for a pine tree, once this work is done, he begins to emit a pheromone to attract the females, which will make their own galleries, from this initial hollow, where they will deposit their eggs.

Damages

It makes galleries under the bark of the pine trees, these galleries produce a cutting effect of the vessels through which the water circulates. The damage caused is amplified by the attracting action of the chemical substances (pheromones) emitted by the adults, which cause the same tree to be attacked by many of these boring insects. The resulting invasion can eventually result in tree death.