Xylosandrus discolor (Blandford)

Dole, Stephanie A. & Beaver, Roger A., 2008, A Review of the Australian Species ofXylosandrusReitter (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), The Coleopterists Bulletin 62 (4), pp. 481-492 : 481-492

Xylosandrus discolor (Blandford)

Xyleborus discolor Blandford, 1898 , Trans.Ent.Soc.Lond. 1898: 429.

Xylosandrus discolor (Blandford) : Browne, 1963, Ent. Ber. 23: 55.

Xyleborus posticestriatus Eggers, 1939 , Arb.Morph.Taxon.Ent. 6: 119; Schedl, 1958, Tijdschr.Ent. 101: 149 (synonymy)

Although Wood and Bright (1992) list Xylosandrus posticestriatus as a separate species, we agree with Schedl (1958) and consider it a synonym of X. discolor . This species has not been recorded before from Australia, although it is known (as Xyleborus posticestriatus ) from New Guinea attacking twigs of unhealthy cocoa trees ( Theobroma cacao ) in Papua Barat (formerly Irian Jaya) ( Entwistle 1972). The main area of distribution of the species extends from Sri Lanka and India through Southeast Asia to the Philippines and Taiwan. In Australia it has been found only in the state of Queensland. It is primarily a twig and shoot borer attacking a wide variety of host trees ( Browne 1961). Some details of the biology are given by Kalshoven (1959). Near-primary attacks on coffee have been noted (Kalshoven & van der Laan 1981), but the species is normally secondary.

New Records : AUSTRALIA: NEQ[ueensland], 16 ° 54 9 S, 145 ° 42E, Whitfield Range, 550 m, pitfall & intercept traps, 28.viii.–19.x.1991 (Monteith, Janetzki) (1); N Qld, Iron Range, 26–31.x.1991 (Wood, Dunn & Hasenpusch) (2); Q[ueensland], Brisbane, Toowong, Mt. Coottha Bot. Gdns, trap 1541, 1.v.2007 (W.Roe) (1) .