What is Ambrosia beetle?
'''Ambrosia beetles''' are [[beetle]]s of the [[weevil]] [[subfamily|subfamilies]] [[Scolytinae]] and [[Platypodinae]] ([[Coleoptera]], [[Curculionidae]]. They live in [[symbiosis]] with [[ambrosia]] [[fungi]] and [[bacteria]]. The beetles make [[tunnel]]s in dead trees where they grow fungal [[garden]]s for [[nutrition]]. [[Image:Dinoplatypus chevrolati.jpg|thumb|right|An ambrosia beetle from [[New Guinea]]]] During their [[evolution]], most weevils became more or less [[wikt:dependant|dependant]] on [[fungi]]. Some [[bark]] [[beetle]]s that ate [[phloem]] are using more fungi.<ref>Paine, T. D., K. F. Raffa, et al. (1997): Interactions between scolytid bark beetles, their associated fungi and live host [[conifer]]s. Annual Review of Entomology 42: 179-206.</ref><ref>Klepzik, K. D. and D. L. Six (2004): Bark Beetle&nbsp;– Fungal Symbiosis: Context Dependency in Complex Associations. Symbiosis 37: 189-205.</ref> These beetles are called ''mycophloeophages''. ==References== {{reflist}} ==Other websites== {{wikispecies|Platypodinae}} * [http://www.ambrosiasymbiosis.org Images and information] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180829175357/http://www.ambrosiasymbiosis.org/ |date=2018-08-29 }} on the Ambrosia beetle at the [[University of Florida]]. * The [http://www.scolytid.msu.edu MSU HISL database] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130701003854/http://www.scolytid.msu.edu/ |date=2013-07-01 }} contains a [[species]] list * [http://www.barkbeetles.info American Bark and Ambrosia Beetles] [[Category:Polyphaga]]