Bark and ambrosia beetles (families Scolytidae and Patypodidae) are among the most destructive of insect pests. Nearly 60 percent of all natural tree mortality in the United States is caused either directly or indirectly by members of these families, including southern pine beetles, mountain pine beetles, western pine beetles and dutch elm disease (carried by the European elm bark beetle). Although more than 20,000 scientific articles have been written on these insects and the problems they cause, this literature is scattered and difficult to locate. The only existing index to this literature was written in 1910, when only one-fifth of the currently recognized species were known. A new bibliography containing references to this literature has been completed by Dr. Stephen Wood and will be published in late 1987. This project will support production of an index to the literature cited in Wood's bibliography. The index will greatly accelerate the speed and efficiency with which researchers can locate and use published sources and it will greatly enhance the thoroughness of their review of the literature. Curators of insect collections, entomologists and foresters concerned with the identification of pest species of bark and ambrosia beetles will greatly appreciate the updated scientific names and classifications presented in the catalog as well as the literature citations that apply to each species. The index should save thousands of hours of valuable research time annually for at least two or three decades. Dr. Wood is the only living world authority on bark and ambrosia beetles. He has worked on their taxonomy and behavior for over 40 years. Library and computer facilities at Brigham Young University are excellent.
