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Biology - Mountain Pine Beetle in Alberta | |
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In Alberta, mountain pine beetle normally has a one-year life cycle. In higher elevation areas though, it may take two years to complete their life cycle.
Adults
In mid-July to mid-August, the stout, black adults bore exit holes through the bark and fly to attack new trees. The female beetle releases an aggregate pheromone to initiate mass attack and to attract males. Then, the females begin to tunnel through the bark and make vertical egg galleries.
Eggs
In the galleries, females mate with males in mid-summer and lay eggs individually along the sides of the gallery. Female beetles will lay approximately 60 eggs.
Larvae
About two weeks after eggs are laid, white, grub-like larvae with brown heads hatch and mine horizontal galleries under the bark. Here they overwinter, protected from the cold temperatures by the bark. The beetle spends the winter in the larval stage and resumes feeding in spring. The larvae grow up to 7 mm in length. They can resist -35° temperatures for several days.
Pupae
By late June to early July, the larvae create oval-shaped chambers at the end of the larval galleries. Here they develop into adult beetles.
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For more information about the content of this document, contact Devon Belanger.
This information published to the web on March 1, 2016.
Last Reviewed/Revised on February 21, 2018.
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