The redbay ambrosia beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) prefers lauraceae in its native range: Records from the Chinese national insect collection

Abstract

The redbay ambrosia beetle Xyleborus glabratus is unusual among ambrosia beetles because of its host specificity to Lauraceae, but it isn't clear whether this is only a feature of the invasive American population. Our examination of the extensive collection in the Chinese Academy of Sciences suggests that Xyleborus glabratus strongly prefers Lauraceae also in its native Asia. These are also the first published records of the species from continental China, which highlights the value of entomological collections.