Xylosandrus compactus (Eichhoff)

Beaver, R. A. & Liu, L. Y., 2010, An annotated synopsis of Taiwanese bark and ambrosia beetles, with new synonymy, new combinations and new records (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), Zootaxa 2602, pp. 1-47 : 33

126. Xylosandrus compactus (Eichhoff)

Xyleborus compactus Eichhoff, 1875: 201 .

Distribution: Probably of Asian origin ( Wood 1977), and widespread through the Oriental region, extending north to Japan, and east to New Guinea, Fiji and Samoa; presumably originally imported to tropical Africa, but now widespread in the Afrotropical region; established in Central America and the southern United States, Hawai’i, Brazil and Peru. [6]

Hosts: Strongly polyphagous ( Browne 1961; Schedl 1963 as Xyleborus morstatti Hagedorn ; Brader 1964; Wood and Bright 1992).

Biology: The biology has been reviewed by Browne (1961), Brader (1964), Entwhistle (1972), Le Pelley (1968) and Beaver (1988) amongst others. This is a species of considerable economic importance because it can attack and breed in healthy shoots and twigs. This can result in the introduction of pathogenic fungi. The main economic host is coffee ( Coffea spp. ) ( Rubiaceae ), but it is also a pest of tea ( Camellia thea ) ( Theaceae ) in Japan, of cocoa ( Theobroma cacao ) ( Sterculiaceae ) and avocado ( Persea americana ) ( Lauraceae ) in Southeast Asia and elsewhere, and may kill seedlings and saplings of shade and forest trees (e.g. Browne 1968; Le Pelley 1968; Entwhistle 1972).