Short pest overview:

It is a genus of beetles in the family Scolytidae. Pityokteines curvidens is one of the most important bark borer insects of other Abies species. Larvae are, apodous, with a whitish body and dark head. The mature larvae reach about 4 mm in length. Pupae are of the exarate type, whitish and bright, bearing two caudal spines. They can reach 3,6 mm in length. Adults' body 2,7-3,2 mm long in males, 2,5-3,0 in females, subcylindrical and robust.

Geographic Distribution:

The native range of this beetle is Georgia, Japan, Turkey, Maryland, New York, Texas and Europe.

Life Cycle:

The female can lay 25-150 eggs on the first egg-laying. Embryonic development can last from 6 to 17 days. The larvae start feeding and digging galleries, 5-8 cm long; their development can last from 30 to 50 days. When mature, the larvae bore into the alburnum, reaching a depth of 1-8 mm, where they dig the pupal cell (6 x 2 mm). There they change into pupae and 10-18 days later into adults.