INTERACTIONS AMONG FUNGI AND BARK BEETLES

The relative abundance and population dynamics of species within a mutualism become important when the interaction is strong, as in the case with some bark beetles, mites and fungi. Slight changes in ecological communities are known to quantitatively or qualitatively alter the outcomes of mutualistic associations between species.  Such changes in the community could be related to forces external to the mutualism such as seasonal climate or the periodic presence of a predator, or from forces internal to the mutualism such as interactions within mutualistic guilds.

Hofstetter, R.W., J.C. Moser, & S. Blomquist. 2007 (submitted). Phoretic mites associated with bark beetles and their fungi. In The Ophiostomatoid Fungi: Expanding Frontiers (Wingfield & Seifert, eds.). MSWord Doc

Hofstetter, R.W., K. D. Klepzig, J.C. Moser & M.P. Ayres. 2006. Seasonal dynamics of mites and fungi and interactions with southern pine beetle. Environmental Entomology 35: 22-30. pdf

Hofstetter, R.W., J. Cronin, K. D. Klepzig, J.C. Moser & M.P. Ayres. 2006. Antagonisms, mutualisms and commensalisms affect outbreak dynamics of the southern pine beetle. Oecologia 147(4): 679-691. pdf

Lombardero, M.J., R.W. Hofstetter, M.P. Ayres, K. Klepzig & J. Moser. 2003. Strong indirect interactions among Tarsonemus mites (Acarina: Tarsonemidae) and Dendroctonus frontalis (Coleoptera: Scolytidae). Oikos 102: 342-352. pdf

Klepzig, K.D., J.C. Moser, F.J. Lombardero, R.W. Hofstetter & M.P. Ayres. 2001. Symbiosis & Competition: Complex interactions among beetles, fungi, and mites. Symbiosis 30:83-96. pdf

Klepzig, K.D., J.C. Moser, F.J. Lombardero, M.P. Ayres, R.W. Hofstetter & C.J. Walkinshaw. 2001. Mutualism and antagonism: Ecological interactions among bark beetles, mites and fungi. Pp. 237-267.  In: Biotic Interactions in Plant-Pathogen Associations (eds. M.J. Jeger & N.J. Spence). CAB International. pdf