Yet Another New Exotic Ambrosia Beetle (Coleoptera: Scolytinae: Xyleborini) in Florida: Cyclorhipidion japonicum (Nobuchi, 1981)

Abstract

Ambrosia beetles (Curculionidae: Scolytinae), particularly those in the tribe Xyleborini, are frequently introduced to new locations around the world, including many in the United States. The most recent review of the tribe lists 30 as exotic (Gomez et al. 2018a), and an additional six have been added to the known fauna (Gomez et al. 2018b; Rabaglia et al. 2020; Smith and Cognato 2022; Smith et al. 2019). Cyclorhipidion Hagedorn, 1912 is the second largest xyleborine genus and currently includes 109 species native to Asia, Africa, and Oceania. Six Asian species currently have established populations in North America (Smith and Cognato 2022). Recently, Cyclorhipidion nemesis Smith and Cognato, 2022 was described from specimens in the United States and has since been confirmed to occur in China (Yunnan) (Smith et al. 2022). The species previously established in the US are all closely related, pseudocryptic, and particularly difficult to diagnose. Here we report an additional species found in Florida, which is conspicuously different from the known species.