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Hypoborus ficus (Erichson)
Insecta, Coleoptera, Scolytidae .

Fig bark-beetle

Description, Biology, Life Cycle, Damage, Common Names, Images

[R]Description
- Adult: 1.0 to 1.3 mm long, dull black; elytra blackish brown with interstices covered in clear recumbent hairs which give it an ashy appearance. Oval, stout general form; prothorax rounded and powerful, elytra rectangular, rounded at their extremity.
- Egg: white, opaque and relatively large considering the small size of the adult.

[R]Biology
- This insect is an extremely common fig pest.
- Adult: it emerges on sunny days and occurs all year round, even in the middle of winter, on the branches of fig. Individuals of both sexes establish the colony in branches of small diameter on withering trees: the gallery begins with a mating chamber leading off to 2 transversal egg-laying corridors, one to the left, the other to the right. The eggs are deposited as drilling of these corridors progresses.
- Larva: larval galleries are perpendicular to the egg-laying corridor, straight, parallel to each other and short (*) . The gallery contains 30 to 40 larvae on average.

[R]Life Cycle
- At least 3 or 4 annual generations.
Adults and larvae occur throughout the year but larval development during the winter period is protracted.

[R]Damage
This pest attacks weakened fig trees; it accelerates their withering and prevents any recovery of sickly subjects.

[R]Common Names
DE: Feigenborkenkäfer ES: Barrenillo de la higuera FR: Scolyte du figuier IT: Ipoboro del fico PT: Caruncho da figueira GB: Fig bark-beetle

[R] Images

  1. Hypoborus ficus (Erichson) (in Balachowsky & Mesnil)
    Galleries in twig of fig
  2. Hypoborus ficus (Erichson) Adult (in Balachowsky & Mesnil)

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