Distribution of Coraebus undatus (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) in cork oak forests of southern Spain

Coraebus undatus is a beetle which excavates galleries in the cork tissue, leading to important economic reductions in quantity and quality of cork that can be harvested from cork oak Quercus suber. Andalusia (southern Spain) produces around 14% of the world's cork supplies and leads the way in cork production in Spain. By analysing distribution patterns and infestation levels of C. undatus in different cork oak forests of southern Spain, useful information for implementing sustainable management of the pest can be obtained. We recorded the level of beetle infestation in cork oak forests by observing the traces left by larval galleries in trees that had recently been de-corked. Our results reveal a widespread distribution for C. undatus and a high percentage of infested oaks (>70%) in almost all cork oak forests in southern Spain. The most damaged forests were located in the areas with the highest density of cork oak forests and a dominant understory.