Photos from the WFIWC Archives:
Mexico
Figure A. Pinus culminicola, host of Pityophthorus spp. Cerro Potosi, Nuevo Leon. (M. Furniss photo)
{This is the third of four entries; view the first, second, or fourth entry.}
Concluding the March - April 1974 Mexican trip. I had learned from Don Bright that Douglas-fir occurred on a mountain (Cerro Potosi) in Nuevo Leon and I wanted to see if the Douglas-fir beetle might be there. Also of interest was that he had described two Ips spp. from a dwarf pinyon pine (Pinus culminicola), which itself had been described from there. We traveled south from Monterey through Linares to a little community called 18 de Marzo at the base of the mountain. Proceeding on, we encountered a stand of Douglas-fir on the lower slope but it was much too young to harbor the beetle. Various pines occurred near the summit (11,000 ft), including a 5-needle pinyon pine, Pinus culminicola (photo A), which reminded me of ornamental Mugo pine. I collected two new species (later described as Pityophthorus culminicolae Bright and P. endemos Bright) from faded branches; they had not yet laid eggs. We camped at the summit and had (Idaho) elk burger enchiladas with cheese and Mexican tortillas. In the morning, the sun shined on a lovely scene of broken clouds below us extending inland from the Gulf of Mexico.
Figure B. Unidentified desert shrub host of Liparthrum albosetosum, Baja California Sur. Can someone identify it? (M. Furniss photo)
From there, we journeyed to Durango and then to Mazatlan on the west coast and crossed the Gulf of California by ferry to La Paz. Ten miles north of La Paz, I collected five specimens of a very small scolytid from an unidentified desert shrub (photo B). It was Liparthrum albosetosum Bright, the only specimens known other than the holotype that was described from one specimen from a light trap near Pénjamo. Does anyone recognize the host shown in the photo?
Figure C. Candle plant, host of Pedilanthus macrocarpus Wood, Baja California Sur.(M. Furniss photo)
From the many collections on this trip, I conclude with Araptus attenuatus, described by S.L. Wood from these (six) specimens in 1975. They were infesting the stems of candle plant, Pedilanthus macrocarpus (photo C), 30 miles west of Bahia de Los Angeles, Baja California. This unusual scolytid host exudes a profuse amount of milky, sticky, substance when cut and it has a pithy center when dry. Years after I sent the six specimens to Wood, I found 49 additional specimens that I had reared at Moscow. They were donated to the W.F. Barr Entomological Museum, University of Idaho, in 2002. Someday, they should be compared to the type and designated geotypes.
So, on April 1, we exited Mexico at Tijuana after a memorable and historical 22-day journey through northern Mexico. Later (1976), I met David Cibrián-Tovar of the Universidad Autónoma Chapingo at the WFIWC in Wemme, Oregon. That was to lead to my re-visiting Mexico as will be recounted. -- Malcolm M. Furniss
{This is the third of four entries; view the first, second, or fourth entry.}
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