Abstract . 1. Bark and ambrosia beetles are crucial for woody biomass decomposition
in tropical forests worldwide. Despite that, quantitative data on their host specificity
are scarce.
2. Bark and ambrosia beetles (Scolytinae and Platypodinae) were reared from 13 species
of tropical trees representing 11 families from all major lineages of dicotyledonous
plants. Standardised samples of beetle-infested twigs, branches, trunks, and roots were
taken from three individuals of each tree species growing in a lowland tropical rainforest
in Papua New Guinea.
3. A total of 81 742 beetles from 74 species were reared, 67 of them identified. Local
species richness of bark and ambrosia beetles was estimated at 80 – 92 species.