Presence of Tomicus destruens Woll. (Coleoptera: Scolytinae) and its relationship with fungal communities in Pinus brutia Ten.

In this study, the insect-fungus-tree relationship was investigated in the 216th Red Pine Seed Orchard of the Denizli Forestry Directorate, Çivril Forest Management Chief. Monitoring studies were carried out between September 2022 and June 2023, taking into account the life cycle of Tomicus destruens. As a result of the isolations, 84 fungal isolates were obtained. A significant difference was found between the two different isolation methods, grinding and walking, at the level of p = 0.037. Representative isolates from each taxon were subjected to DNA isolation and then to Polymerase Chain Reaction of the ITS (Internal Transcribed Spacer) gene region. Fourteen different fungal taxa belonging to 11 families (Apiosporaceae, Aspergillaceae, Cladosporiaceae, Cordycipitaceae, Didymellaceae, Dothioraceae, Nectriaceae, Pleosporaceae, Saccotheciaceae, Sarocladiaceae, Stachybotryaceae), all from the Ascomycota phylum, were identified. Nine of these fungi (Cladosporium sp., Aureobasidium sp., Penicillium sp., Lecanicillium sp., Fusarium sp., Sarocladium sp., Albifimbria sp., Alternaria sp, Arthrinium sp.) were identified at the genus level, and five (Sydowia polyspora, Aureobasidium pullulans, Aspergillus niger, Epicoccum layuense, Alternaria alternata) at the species level. Among these, Lecanicillium sp. is the first reported entomopathogen for T. destruens. The most common taxa were determined as Penicillium sp. (18.60%), Sarocladium sp. (13.95%), and Sydowia polyspora (11.63%). Additionally, the presence/absence of fungal species was examined according to their dilution levels, and species richness was determined using the Shannon-Weiner diversity index. The study provides fundamental data for the conservation of forest ecosystems and the sustainable management of biological diversity.