Pioneer Behaviour in Bark Beetles

My PhD research focused on understanding pioneer behaviour in the mountain pine beetle. This work was done with Dr. Mary Reid at the University of Calgary. In group living organisms, aggregation initiators or first attackers are necessary for group formation or successful group attack. However, those individuals that search for new resources, found new colonies, or initiate attack on dangerous prey, may suffer higher costs during those activities than other group members.

 In mountain pine beetles (MPB), aggregations are initiated on new hosts by individuals known as pioneers. Reproduction in MPB is dependent upon cessation of tree defences, which requires beetle densities exceeding 40 beetles/m². 30-50% of pioneers fail to recruit sufficient conspecifics to effectively colonise the tree, resulting in reproductive failure. Thus pioneering is a highly risk activity. Why then, do individuals go first?

I have also explored social behaviours in Ips grandicollis, a non-aggressive bark beetle with Dr. Matthew Symonds at Deaklin University. Unlike MPB, I. grandicollis breeds in dead trees which lack defence mechanisms.

For more information, please see:

 Latty TM and Reid ML (2010). Who goes first? Condition and danger dependent pioneering in a group-living beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae).Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology :64: 639-646

 Latty,TM Magrath, MJL and Symonds, MRE(2009). Harem size and oviposition behaviour in a polygynous bark beetle. Ecological Entomology 34(5):562-568.

 Latty, TM and ML Reid (2009). First in line or first in time: Effects of settlement order and arrival date on reproductive success in a group-living beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae. Journal of Animal Ecology 78 (3): 549-555