Scolytus is a genus of bark beetle

Bark beetle

A bark beetle is one of approximately 220 genera with 6,000 species of beetles in the subfamily Scolytinae. Traditionally, this was considered a distinct family Scolytidae, but now it is understood that bark beetles are in fact very specialized members of the "true weevil" family...

s (subfamily Scolytinae). It includes several species notorious for destroying trees in the forests. The Dutch elm disease

Dutch elm disease

Dutch elm disease is a disease caused by a member of the sac fungi category, affecting elm trees which is spread by the elm bark beetle. Although believed to be originally native to Asia, the disease has been accidentally introduced into America and Europe, where it has devastated native...

 is spread in North America by two species : the native elm bark beetle, Hylurgopinus rufipes, and the European elm bark beetle, Scolytus multistriatus. In Europe, while the aforementioned Scolytus multistriatus again acts as vector for infection, it is much less effective than the large elm bark beetle Scolytus scolytus.
Species include:

• Scolytus amygdali
• Scolytus dentatus Bright, 1964
• Scolytus fagi Walsh, 1867
• Scolytus laricis Blackman, 1934
• Scolytus mali (Bechstein, 1805), the larger shothole borer
• Scolytus monticolae Swaine, 1917
• Scolytus multistriatus (Marsham, 1802), the European elm bark beetle, smaller European elm bark beetle
• Scolytus muticus Say, 1824, the hackberry beetle
• Scolytus obelus Wood, 1962
• Scolytus opacus Blackman, 1934
• Scolytus oregoni Blackman, 1934
• Scolytus praeceps LeConte, 1876
• Scolytus quadrispinosus Say, 1824, the hickory bark beetle
• Scolytus reflexus Blackman, 1934
• Scolytus robustus Blackman, 1934
• Scolytus rugulosus (Mueller, 1818), the shothole borer
• Scolytus scolytus (Fabricius, 1775)
• Scolytus subscaber LeConte, 1876
• Scolytus unispinosus LeConte, 1876, the Douglas-fir engraver
• Scolytus ventralis LeConte, 1868, the fir engraver

External links

• PaDIL Sheet on Scolytus scolytus