Fungal farmers in the wood

Do you know that some beetles farm certain fungal species as their only food source in the tunnels they bore in the trees? The best-known example is ambrosia beetles and their unique relationship with ambrosia fungi that they carry and farm inside the wood to feed the growing brood. However, some ambrosia beetles can be invasive pests in their introduced range. The ambrosia beetle, Back Stem Borer (Xylosandrus germanus) is native to South East Asia and has become a major invasive pest in the USA and many European countries. This beetle is established in six Canadian provinces, including the Maritimes, but is not considered a pest yet. My research at UNBF focuses on whether they could become an invasive pest in Canada. I am looking at this possibility in the aspects of their beetle-fungus-host tree interactions, genetics, and response to temperature under changing climate using lab and field-based experiments. After dissecting a media tube that I used to rear them in the lab, I took this photo of the beetle feeding on its fungus! Investigating their invasion ecology, including both beetle-fungal perspectives, is essential for predicting their invasion potential and also understanding their relatively slow spread in Canada.