Bark beetles can destroy spruce forests by converting the trees' defences into even more toxic substances, scientists ...

Spruce bark beetles don’t just tolerate their host tree’s chemical defenses—they actively reshape them into stronger ...

Spruce bark beetles hijack their host tree’s chemical defenses, transforming them into potent weapons against fungal threats.

Spruce bark is rich in phenolic compounds that protect trees from pathogenic fungi. A research team at the Max Planck ...

Then there is the fungus, Beauveria bassiana. This fungus is neither the tree’s nor the beetle’s friend; as a pathogenic ...

Learn more about the chemical arms race between a fungus, a tree, and a beetle.

Bark beetles convert spruce tree defenses into more potent antimicrobials to protect themselves, but a fungus can neutralize ...

Vast swathes of the country’s trees have been killed off by droughts and infestations, in a trend sweeping across Europe. A shift towards more biodiverse cultivation could offer answers ...

Sep 19, 2021 Sep 19, 2021 Updated Oct 24, 2022 An epidemic is creeping into Interior Alaska, but it is not attacking people. It is killing forests filled with mature white spruce trees. The culprit is ...

Bark beetles may use receptors in their antennae to detect and feast on fungus-infected trees. The Eurasian spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) – found in Europe, Asia and some parts of Africa – ...

Spruce bark beetles use the plant defense compounds in spruce bark as a protective mechanism. After feeding, they metabolize ...