Rediscovery of the Hawaiian endemic bark beetle Xyleborus pleiades Samuleson, 1981 on Moloka‘i, with records of three new exotic bark beetles for the island (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae: Xyleborini)

ABSTRACT

During the course of a targeted bark beetle survey of the Hawaiian Islands, insect sampling undertaken in native forest biotopes on Moloka‘i island revealed the presence of one native and three exotic species of xyleborine bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae: Xyleborini) hitherto not recorded from the island. We present detailed new island records for these species, which include the second record of Xyleborus pleiades Samuelson, 1981, an endemic Hawaiian species not recorded in over 50 years, and previously known only from two specimens from the island of Maui. The three newly recorded introduced species are widespread pantropical beetles of actual or potential pest status: Xyleborus affinis Eichhoff, 1867, Xyleborinus saxesenii (Ratzeburg, 1837), and Xylosandrus crassiusculus (Motschulsky, 1866). The importance of the records is briefly discussed, and all newly recorded species are illustrated in colour photographs.

KEYWORDS:

• Ambrosia beetle
• Xyleborus affinis
• Xyleborinus saxesenii
• Xylosandrus crassiusculus
• Hawaii
• new records

Acknowledgements

We would like to gratefully thank Russell Kallstrom (TNC Kamakou) and Cynthia King (DLNR – DOFAW) for their assistance in obtaining research permits, and James Boone (BPBM) and Janis Matsunaga of the State of Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture (HDOA) for facilitating access to the collections under their care.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by State of Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and USDA State Research, Education and Extension project HAW00942-H, administered by the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. This material was made possible, in part, by a Cooperative Agreement from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). It may not necessarily express APHIS’ views.