Ophiostoma fungi and the bark beetles that transfer it

The Ophiostomatales are a group of fungi that cause diseases in trees, animals and humans. Ophiostomatal fungi belong to the type Ascomycota, class Sordariomycetes, order Ophiostomatales. A characteristic feature of ophiostomal fungi is the presence of special structures – ophiostomes, which are narrow tubes through which the fungal spores pass. Ophiostoma fungi can be saprotrophs, parasites or symbionts.

Some ophiostoma fungi cause serious diseases, such as Dutch elm disease, blue-brown wood rot, alder disease, pine leaf curl disease, etc.

Bark beetles are a group of insects belonging to the class Insecta, order Beetles, superfamily Curculionoidea.

Bark beetles have a long, curved snout with mouthparts at the end. Bark beetles feed mainly on plant food, biting through plant tissue with their snouts. Certain types of bark beetles are pests of agriculture and forests, such as pine bark beetle, spruce bark beetle, elm bark beetle, apple bark beetle, etc.

Ophiostomal fungi and bark beetles are closely related. This relationship can be parasitic, symbiotic or commensal. Some ophiostoma fungi use bark beetles as vectors for transferring its spores to new plants.

For example, the fungus Ophiostoma ulmi, which causes Dutch elm disease, is carried by the bark beetle Scolytus scolytus, which feeds on the bark of the elm tree. The fungus produces spores in ophiostomes that are placed on the body of the bark beetle when it bites through the bark. When the bark beetle moves on to another tree, it infects it with the fungal spores, which penetrate the tree’s water vessels and block it, causing the tree to dry out and die.

Some bark beetles use ophiostoma fungi as a source of nutrients or protection from predators. For example, the pine bark beetle Ips typographus, which feeds on pine bark, cohabits with fungi from the genus Ceratocystis, which produce spores in ophiostomes.Fungi provides the bark beetle with nitrogen, carbohydrates and vitamins, and produces toxins that repel predators and competitors. The bark beetle and the fungus form a symbiotic association that enhances its ability to survive and reproduce.

Some species of ophiostoma fungi and bark beetles have no direct influence on each other, but coexist on the same substrate. For example, the fungus Ophiostoma piceae, which causes blue-brown rot in wood, lives on pine bark, which is damaged by the pine bark beetle Tomicus piniperda, which feeds on pine wood. The fungus and the bark beetle do not interact with each other, but both use the resources of the pine tree, which leads to its weakening and death.

Ophiostoma fungi usually appear on the surface of the tree, as the typical blue wood on the trunk.If the fungus gets on the tree with an insect, it develops rapidly in the bast and sapwood, interferes with the water supply of the pine tree, the supply of nutrients to the tree, which leads to its drying out and inevitable death, therefore it is important to carry out prevention and treatment timely if you want to save your trees.

Ophiostoma fungi and bark beetles are important components of ecosystems that affect plants, animals and humans. Some of them are beneficial, while others are harmful. In an effort to preserve biodiversity and health, it is necessary to study their biological and ecological characteristics and their interaction in the environment.

Read more about Ips acuminatus та Ips typographus