Black Turpentine Beetle - Dendroctonus terebrans
Georgia Forestry Commission Forest Health Monitoring Factsheets
Written by Terry Price, Georgia Forestry Commission
Adapted for the web by the Bugwood Network
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The black turpentine beetle (Figure 1) is the largest of the pine bark beetles in Georgia. It is attracted to pines damaged by logging activities and lightning or stressed by drought (Figure 2). As an adult, it bores under the bark and constructs feeding and egg galleries (Figure 3). Upon hatching, the larvae further damage the tree by feeding together en mass (Figure 4).
Figure 1
photo by David T. Almquist |
Figure 2
photo by Peter L. Lorio, Jr. |
Figure 3
photo by Ronald F. Billings |
Figure 4
photo from North Carolina State University Archives |
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Turpentine beetle attacks are confined to the bottom six feet of the bole. Attacked trees can be identified by large pinkish to whitish pitch tubes formed on the bark (Figures 2 & 5). Fortunately, this beetle does not carry significant amounts of blue staining fungi and attacked trees can often be saved by treating them with an insecticide. As a rule of thumb, if an attacked tree has less than one pitch tube for every inch of trunk diameter, the tree will probably survive if sprayed to prevent further attacks.
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Figure 5
photo by Terry Price |
Contrary to this, not all pitch tubes indicate a successful attack. Oftentimes a female beetle will bore into a tree but will leave or be unsuccessful in attracting a mate and no damage is done except for a small amount of feeding evidenced by a pitch tube. A machete can be used to shave the pitch tube and a small portion of bark from the tree. The absence of beetle life stages will confirm an unsuccessful attack.
Onyx insecticide (bifenthrin) is registered for control of black turpentine beetles in ornamental pine. It is not registered for use in forest situations.
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