Scots Pine Borer

The Scots Pine Borer, also known as the Pine Borer, is a beetle insect of the Escolithidae family. In its adult stage it reaches about 4 to 5 mm in length, it is dark in color, its head and thorax are black, while the elytra and its legs are dark brown.

Normally it attacks more mature trees, it does not usually attack strong and healthy plants, however, it is able to colonize healthy trees. It causes greater damage in young populations and in adult populations already affected and weakened trees.

Some factors and conditions that favor their expansion and the attacks of these insects is the presence of other debilitating organisms such as fungi and insects, that the base of the plant is weakened by waterlogging or drought, that great damage is generated to the wood or also by trees felled by wind, snow or pruning debris.

The borer produces two types of damage under the bark of the tree. The first is a damage of feeding and maturation in the branches of the crowns, it occurs when the adults of this species feed on its pith causing the tree canopy to turn yellow. The second damage is developmental, this occurs when the larvae feed and burrow in the subcortical area of the trees in the shape of a fish bone, preventing the correct flow of sap and water, which generates weakness in the tree and the presence of a yellow hue in the crown and then reddish, indicating the death of the tree thanks to the damage caused.

The signs of affectation that are in the tree are very evident so that the presence of this insect can be detected in a much easier way, these signs are:

- Yellowed treetops.

- Presence of holes in the trunk.

- Presence of lumps of resin on the trunk.

- Terminal branches fallen and dry.

- Presence of sawdust near the trunk.

- Under the bark there are rectilinear galleries and also transversal galleries to the main gallery.