Cone Resources and the Ecology of the Red Pine Cone Beetle, Conophthorus resinosae (Coleoptera: Scolytidae)

Red pine cone beetles (Conophthorus resinosae Hopkins) (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) suffer negligible mortality from parasites or predators. Their population levels are governed by variations in weather and the availability of food. Their life history characteristics and ecology resemble those of other cone beetles but differ slightly owing to the peculiarities of red pine cone and seed size and perhaps cone production frequency as well. Red pine cone beetles destroyed on the average 79% of the annual cone crops during an 11-yr period.