Red-cockaded Woodpecker Centers On

T he southern pine beetle, Dendroctonus fiontalis (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), and the red-cockaded woodpecker, Picoides borealis, are indigenous species that occur together in pine (Pinus sp.) forests of the southern United States. For different reasons, these organisms have been the focus of considerable research. Interest in the southern pine beetle centers on the role this insect plays as a pest species (Thatcher et al. 1980; Branham and Thatcher 1985). The beetle infests southern yellow pines and is the most significant mortality agent affecting softwood production in the South. A primary goal of research is to devise ways to reduce the negative effects of the insect through suppression of populations or prevention of conditions