You Li

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• Doctor of Philosophy
• Professor (Associate) at Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University

Ambrosia symbiosis is an obligate, farming-like mutualism between wood-boring beetles and fungi. It evolved at least 11 times and includes many notorious invasive pests. All ambrosia beetles studied to date cultivate ascomycotan fungi: early colonizers of recently killed trees with poor wood digestion. Beetles in the widespread genus Ambrosiodmus,...

Insects that depend on microbial mutualists evolved a variety of organs to transport the microsymbionts while dispersing. The ontogeny and variability of such organs is rarely studied, and the microsymbiont's effects on the animal tissue development remain unknown in most cases. Ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae or Platypodina...

Ambrosia beetles in the subfamily Platypodinae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) have been farming fungi for over 50 million y, yet they remain understudied and most of their fungal symbionts are unknown. We identified fungal communities associated with all four platypodine species native to the southeastern United States: Euplatypus compositus, Euplatyp...

Ambrosia beetles in the subtribe Hyorrhynchini are one example of an entire ambrosia beetle lineage whose fungi have never been studied. Here, we identify one dominant fungus associated with a widespread Asian hyorrhynchine beetle Sueus niisimai. This fungus was consistently isolated from beetle galleries from multiple collections. Phylogenetic ana...

The nematophagous fungal genus Esteya is reported as natural enemy of the pine wood nematode Bursapelenchus xylophilus, which causes pine wilt in Asia and Europe. During a survey of fungi associated with ambrosia beetles in Florida, USA, an undescribed Esteya species was found. A phylogenetic analysis based on LSU and β-tubulin DNA sequences suppor...

The black twig borer, Xylosandrus compactus (Eichhoff), is a globally invasive ambrosia beetle. In recent years, X. compactus has attacked healthy plant branches and caused economic damage to ornamental trees in many locations worldwide, including in Shanghai city. In this study, two fungal species were consistently isolated from the beetle mycangi...

Co-infection with symbiotic viruses and arboviruses with synergistic effects in insect vectors are common in nature, but the underlying mechanism remains elusive. Here, we identify a novel symbiotic virus, leafhopper Recilia dorsalis bunyavirus (RdBV), which enhances the transmission efficiency of cytorhabdovirus rice stripe mosaic virus (RSMV, a p...

A new synonymy in the genus Scolytus Geoffroy, 1762 is established: S. jacobsoni (Spessivtsev, 1919) (= nunbergi Michalski, 1964 syn.n.). We restore species status of Scolytus emarginatus (Wichmann, 1915), stat.resurr. (= seulensis Murayama, 1930 syn.n) and Ernoporus eggersi Kurentsov, 1941 stat.resurr. previously treated as synonyms of Scolytus sc...

Two new species of ambrosia beetles Xylosandrus Reitter, 1913 (Scolytinae: Xyleborini), Xylosandrus luokengensis Lin & Gao sp. nov. and Xylosandrus nanlingensis Lin & Gao sp. nov., from Guangdong Province, South China are described. Xylosandrus trunculus Park & Smith, 2020 is reported from China for the first time, and provincial records of all kno...

Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus” (CLas) is a phloem-limited alpha-proteobacteria causing Citrus Huanglongbing, the destructive disease currently threatening global citrus industry. Genomic analyses of CLas provide insights into its evolution and biology. Here, we sequenced and assembled whole genomes of 135 CLas strains originally from 20 citrus...

Arboviruses can be paternally transmitted by male insects to offspring for long-term persistence, but the mechanism remains largely unknown. Here, we use a model system of a destructive rice reovirus and its leafhopper vector to find that insect ribosome-rescuer Pelo-Hbs1 complex expressed on the sperm surface mediates paternal arbovirus transmissi...

Sentinel gardens are effective in assessing the risk of insect or pathogen invasions on plants from offshore regions. Limited knowledge exists on wood borers’ potential impact on expatriate plants and host stress levels. We surveyed wood borers colonizing 11 North American tree species planted in two sentinel gardens in China, recording 38 species...

Four Sueus Murayama, 1951 species occur in Southeast Asia and Oceania. They all likely have a female-biased haplodiploid inbreeding mating system and feed on symbiotic ambrosia fungi. These life history traits increase the potential of adventive events. Indeed, Sueus has been recently discovered on the Caribbean island of Martinique. Morphological...

Bruchidius coreanus is a serious pest on Gleditsia sinensis Lam during seed storage, causing significant losses to their yield in southwest China. To gain insight into their behavioral mechanisms, the external morphology, ultrastructure, and distribution of sensilla on antennae, maxillary palps, and labial palps of both male and female B. coreanus...

Immanus Hulcr & Cognato, 2013 is reported from China for the first time, with the description and illustration of a new species, Immanus songi sp. nov., based on an adult female collected with a flight intercept trap from Yunnan province, China. A key to all known species of Immanus is given.

Platypodinae ambrosia beetles depend on mutualistic fungi for food, and both partners cooperate in colonizing dead trees. The fungi are transported in specialized structures (mycangia), but the location of mycangia is unknown in many platypodine species. One species with elusive mycangia is Euplatypus parallelus, widespread in the Americas, and rec...

Xylosandrus compactus (Eichhoff) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) is a worldwide invasive species that causes huge economic loss and environmental damage in many countries. Traditional morphological characteristics make it hard to identify scolytines due to their tiny size. Besides, the intercepted insect samples are incomplete, and the limi...

We show, using molecular data, that the enigmatic genus Urocorthylus Petrov, Mandelshtam & Beaver from Southeast Asia belongs in the scolytine tribe, Dryocoetini, and not in the almost wholly American tribe Corthylini, where it was originally placed. The male of Urocorthylus hirtellus Petrov, Mandelshtam & Beaver is described and figured for the fi...

Scolytus unicornis, a new species of Scolytus Geoffroy from Yunnan, China, is described and illustrated. Three DNA barcoding sequences (COI, 28S, CAD) of this species are provided. The new species is distinguished from other Asian Scolytus species by the longitudinal wrinkles on the frons only in the area below the eyes, a large median spine situat...

The honey locusts (genus Gleditsia) are a genus of high-value trees in Asia. Seed beetle, Megabruchidius dorsalis (Fåhraeus) (Col.: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae), is a Gleditsia oligophagous pest that causes severe yield reduction. To understand the cold tolerance of M. dorsalis adults, this study investigated its cold tolerance strategy and the influe...

Ambrosia beetles from the tribe Xyleborini are part of nearly all forest ecosystems. Because of their small size, haplodiploid mating structure, and protected lives inside the sapwood of woody plants, they have a unique ability to expand into new regions via inadvertent human transport. A small number of invasive xyleborines cause significant damag...

In recent years, ambrosia beetles, Euwallacea interjectus, have emerged as important pests of exotic Populus in poplar cultivations from Jiangsu, China. However, Fusarium mutualists of E. interjectus within the Ambrosia Fusarium Clade (AFC) remain unclear. In the investigation of Fusarium mutualists, 36 isolates were obtained from five geographical...

Accurate species delimitation is an important component of pest management. The Euwallacea fornicatus species complex (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) includes a series of morphologically similar forest pests that cause huge economic losses both in invaded regions and in the native region. The current hypothesis about the species complex pos...

Symbiosis between beetles and fungi arose multiple times during the evolution of both organisms. Some of the most biologically diverse and economically important are mutualisms in which the beetles cultivate and feed on fungi. Among these are bark beetles and Harringtonia, a fungal genus that produces Raffaelea-like asexual morph and hosts the caus...

Native to Southeastern Asia, the ambrosia beetle Xylosandrus compactus is invasive worldwide. Its invasion is favoured by its cryptic lifestyle, symbiosis with a fungus that facilitates a broad range of host plants, and predominant sib-mating reproduction. X. compactus invaded Africa more than a century ago and the Americas and Pacific Islands in t...

Fungi of the genus Geosmithia are frequently associated with bark beetles that feed on phloem on various woody hosts. Most studies on Geosmithia were carried out in North and South America and Europe, with only two species being reported from Taiwan, China. This study aimed to investigate the diversity of Geosmithia species in China. Field surveys...

Thousands of insect species have been introduced to non-native regions around the world; many have harmlessly integrated into the new ecosystems, while some became agents of mortality of the new plant hosts. To prepare for possible new invasions, scientists and agencies need to identify traits that predispose wood boring species to become tree-kill...

Simple Summary In this paper, we used scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to describe the morphological types, number of sensilla, and their distributions on the antennae and mouthparts of both sexes of the bean weevil, Megabruchidius dorsalis (Coleoptera: Bruchinae). The results showed twelve subtypes on antennal sensilla and five types of sensilla...

Symbiosis between insects and fungi arose multiple times during the evolution of both groups, and some of the most biologically diverse and economically important are mutualisms in which the insects cultivate and feed on fungi. Among these are bark beetles, whose ascomycetous cultivars are better known and studied than their frequently-overlooked a...

Heydenia kashmirensis Sureshan & Khanday (Hymenoptera : Chalcidoidea : Pteromalidae) from Kashmir (India) is described and illustrated. This is the second record of Heydenia in Kashmir and it is the fourth known species of the genus from South Asia. An updated key to the species of Heydenia from the Indian subcontinent is also provided.

A new species of bark beetle, Scolytus jiulianshanensis Zhang, Li & Smith sp. nov., from Jiangxi, China is described and illustrated. This new species was collected from dead elm (Ulmus sp.) trees. A DNA barcoding sequence of this species is provided. The new species is distinguished from other Asian Scolytus species by the apical margins of ventri...

The red-haired pine bark beetle, Hylurgus ligniperda (Fabricius), is one of the most rapidly spreading invasive forest insects. Originally from Eurasia, it has subsequently been introduced to Oceania, North, and South America. Yet, the status of H. ligniperda in East Asia is ambiguous. Here, investigation and analysis were conducted on the beetle i...

Exotic diseases and pests of trees have caused continental-scale disturbances in forest ecosystems and industries, and their invasions are considered largely unpredictable. We tested the concept of pre-invasion assessment of not-yet invasive organisms, which enables empirical risk assessment of potential invasion and impact. Our example assesses fu...

The gut microbiome plays an important role in a host’s development and adaption to its dietary niche. In this study, a group of bamboo-feeding insects are used to explore the potential role of the gut microbiota in the convergent adaptation to extreme diet specialization. Specifically, using a 16S rRNA marker and an Illumina sequencing platform, we...

We provide an overview of both traditional and innovative control tools for management of three Xylosandrus ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), invasive species with a history of damage in forests, nurseries, orchards and urban areas. Xylosandrus compactus , X. crassiusculus and X. germanus are native to Asia, and currently es...

Background Ips is a bark beetle genus of 45 species, many of which are pests of conifer forests and plantations under stress. Twelve Ips species are recorded from China and presumably native there. From 2016 to 2018, specimens suspected to be Ips calligraphus and Ips grandicollis, were collected from traps with ethanol as a sole lure in Zhuhai, Gua...

Fungi of the genus Geosmithia are frequently associated with bark beetles that feed on phloem on various woody hosts. Most studies on Geosmithia were carried out in North and South America and Europe, with only two species were reported from Taiwan, China. The aim of this study was to investigate the diversity of Geosmithia species in southern Chin...

A seed-borer weevil，Bruchidius uberatus，was intercepted firstly at Beijing port in legumes of Vachellia sp.，brought by airplane passengers from Nigeria. Characteristics of adult，host plants，distribution are provided and sequence alignment of COI and 16S rRNA were conducted within NCBI gene database for identification. It provides useful data for sp...

Several ambrosia beetles are invasive pests able to attack and kill live trees, but most species established in non-native areas do not cause any documented impact. Here we report the recent invasion and rapid spread of Ambrosiodmus minor and its fungal associate Flavodon subulatus in the Southeastern US. We used a combination of a multi-year surve...

This study describes a new species, Crossotarsus beaveri Lai & Wang, sp. nov. , designates a new combination, C. brevis (Browne, 1975, comb. nov. from Platypus Herbst, 1793), and notes a new record, C. emorsus Beeson, 1937, from China. Genetic data from four genes indicate that the new species and C. brevis form a clade clustered with other Crossot...

Simple Summary American sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua (Altingiaceae) was introduced to China over 60 years ago. It is an important tree species for increasing landscape value and promoting afforestation in urbanized areas of eastern China in the past 20 years. Sweetgum inscriber Acanthotomicus suncei is a local bark beetle pest and lethal to the...

The sweetgum inscriber (SI) Acanthotomicus suncei Cognato is an emerging bark beetle pest that seriously damages American sweetgum trees (Liquidambar styraciflua) and Chinese sweetgum trees (L. formosana) in China. Since 2013, SI has killed more than 30,000 sweetgum trees in Shanghai and adjacent areas. In Shanghai, SI was observed to emerge from i...

The fungus gnat Bradysia impatiens (Johannsen) is a worldwide pest inhabiting organic‐rich environments, including mushroom‐cultivation substrates, which leads to massive production losses of edible mushrooms. To promote a non‐insecticidal pest control strategy, we evaluated adult behavioural response towards two saprophytic fungal strains Aspergil...

Here we report new records of two invasive ambrosia beetles, Xyleborus affinis and X. ferrugineus, in mainland China. For X. affinis, 89 specimens were collected at 12 locations from five hosts (Eucalyptus robusta, Eucalyptus sp., Hevea brasiliensis, Schefflera octophylla and Sindora glabra) during 2014–2019. In 2019, there are only two samples of...

This study describes a new species, Crossotarsus beaveri Lai & Wang, sp. nov. , designates a new combination, C. brevis (Browne, 1975, from Platypus Herbst, 1793), comb. nov. , and notes a new record, C. emorsus Beeson, 1937, from China. Genetic data from four genes indicate that the new species and C. brevis form a clade clustered with other Cross...

Cryphalus Erichson, 1836 is a taxonomically challenging genus. It is particularly speciose in Asia. Many species are minor pests of fruit tree crops and forest products. We review collections from East Asia, using external morphology, internal morphology and genetic markers with a focus on sub-tropical species from fruit trees. Four new species are...

This protocol describes how to extract fungi from beetle galleries. This protocol is part of the Bark Beetle Mycobiome (BBM) Research Coordination Network. For more information on the BBM international network: Hulcr J, Barnes I, De Beer ZW, Duong TA, Gazis R, Johnson AJ, Jusino MA, Kasson MT, Li Y, Lynch S, Mayers C, Musvuugwa T, Roets F, Seltmann...

This protocol describes how to estimate the number of colony-forming units. This protocol is part of the Bark Beetle Mycobiome (BBM) Research Coordination Network. For more information on the BBM international network: Hulcr J, Barnes I, De Beer ZW, Duong TA, Gazis R, Johnson AJ, Jusino MA, Kasson MT, Li Y, Lynch S, Mayers C, Musvuugwa T, Roets F,...

This protocol describes the different media for fungal culturing. This protocol is part of the Bark Beetle Mycobiome (BBM) Research Coordination Network. For more information on the BBM international network: Hulcr J, Barnes I, De Beer ZW, Duong TA, Gazis R, Johnson AJ, Jusino MA, Kasson MT, Li Y, Lynch S, Mayers C, Musvuugwa T, Roets F, Seltmann K...

This protocol describes how to hand-carry live fungi through airport customs into the United States for the UF Forest Entomology Lab. This protocol is part of the Bark Beetle Mycobiome (BBM) Research Coordination Network. For more information on the BBM international network: Hulcr J, Barnes I, De Beer ZW, Duong TA, Gazis R, Johnson AJ, Jusino MA,...

This protocol describes how to store and revive ambrosia fungi. This protocol is part of the Bark Beetle Mycobiome (BBM) Research Coordination Network. For more information on the BBM international network: Hulcr J, Barnes I, De Beer ZW, Duong TA, Gazis R, Johnson AJ, Jusino MA, Kasson MT, Li Y, Lynch S, Mayers C, Musvuugwa T, Roets F, Seltmann KC,...

This protocol describes how to store fungi in slants. This protocol is part of the Bark Beetle Mycobiome (BBM) Research Coordination Network. For more information on the BBM international network: Hulcr J, Barnes I, De Beer ZW, Duong TA, Gazis R, Johnson AJ, Jusino MA, Kasson MT, Li Y, Lynch S, Mayers C, Musvuugwa T, Roets F, Seltmann KC, Six D, Va...

This protocol describes how to run electrophoresis gels at the UF Forest Entomology Lab. This protocol is part of the Bark Beetle Mycobiome (BBM) Research Coordination Network. For more information on the BBM international network: Hulcr J, Barnes I, De Beer ZW, Duong TA, Gazis R, Johnson AJ, Jusino MA, Kasson MT, Li Y, Lynch S, Mayers C, Musvuugwa...

The purpose of this protocol is to conduct PCR of bark beetles or fungal DNA. This protocol is part of the Bark Beetle Mycobiome (BBM) Research Coordination Network. For more information on the BBM international network: Hulcr J, Barnes I, De Beer ZW, Duong TA, Gazis R, Johnson AJ, Jusino MA, Kasson MT, Li Y, Lynch S, Mayers C, Musvuugwa T, Roets F...

This protocol describes how to do fungal DNA extraction from fungal plate. This protocol is part of the Bark Beetle Mycobiome (BBM) Research Coordination Network. For more information on the BBM international network: Hulcr J, Barnes I, De Beer ZW, Duong TA, Gazis R, Johnson AJ, Jusino MA, Kasson MT, Li Y, Lynch S, Mayers C, Musvuugwa T, Roets F, S...

This protocol describes how to extract fungal symbionts from beetles. This protocol is part of the Bark Beetle Mycobiome (BBM) Research Coordination Network. For more information on the BBM international network: Hulcr J, Barnes I, De Beer ZW, Duong TA, Gazis R, Johnson AJ, Jusino MA, Kasson MT, Li Y, Lynch S, Mayers C, Musvuugwa T, Roets F, Seltma...

• Extensive boring damage into trunks of living poplar trees in the urban forest of Shanghai, eastern China, was investigated in 2017. • In order to determine the taxonomic identity of the pest, we used morphological identification and sequenced mitochondrial COI gene. Based on both morphology and molecular data, it was concluded that the pest bori...

The ambrosia beetle, Xyleborus festivus Eichhoff is a widespread and dominant ambrosia beetle on pines in South East Asia, but it has not yet been reported from China. Here we report the distribution, host range, and the symbiotic fungi of X. festivus in China, using new collecting and culturing data as well as information from collections in the N...

One of the main threats to forests in the Anthropocene are novel or altered interactions among trees, insects and fungi. To critically assess the contemporary research on bark beetles, their associated fungi, and their relationships with trees, the international Bark Beetle Mycobiome research coordination network has been formed. The network compri...

Cryphalini Lindemann, 1877 are a speciose group of mostly miniscule beetles. The tribe Cryphalini is reviewed here which resulted in taxonomic and nomenclatural changes. This revision follows a recent molecular phylogenomic re-analysis focused on the tribe and related scolytine taxa. The analysis demonstrated that the tribe is polyphyletic, as foun...

The Australian tortoise beetle Trachymela sloanei (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Chrysomelinae), an invasive pest of several species of Eucalyptus has been reported for the first time in Asia. It was first detected in Shenzhen, China where it has become established. Currently, T. sloanei is not a destructive forest pest in Shenzhen. Pupae and adults w...

[Objective] Liquidambar styraciflua, north American sweetgum tree is a new important exotic ornamental foliage tree that is widely used in urban areas of eastern China. To provide information for prevention and control of a new bark beetle pest, Acanthotomicus suncei, which damages north American sweetgum, we described morphological characteristics...

DNA holds great potential for species identification and efforts to create a DNA database of all animals and plants currently contains >7.5 million sequences representing ~300,000 species. This promise of a universally applicable identification tool suggests that morphologically based tools and taxonomists will soon not have utility. Here we demons...

Flea beetles (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini) are a hyperdiverse group of organisms with approximately 9900 species worldwide. In addition to walking as most insects do, nearly all the species of flea beetles have an ability to jump and this ability is commonly understood as one of the key adaptations responsible for its diversity...

In this study, the complete 15,892 bp mitochondrial genome of Bruchidius uberatus (Fåhraeus) was sequenced using Illumina NovaSeq6000 platform. The mitogenome is a double-stranded circular molecule of 15,892 bp in length with 22 transfer RNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes and two ribosomal RNA genes as in other insects. Twenty-five species from 8 s...

18 species of bark and ambrosia beetle from Shanghai, China. 上海小蠹图鉴. Acanthotomicus suncei, Ambrosiophilus atratus, Anisandrus maiche, Cnestus mutilatus, Dryocoetiops sp., Ernoporus japonicus, Euwallacea fornicatus, Euwallacea interjectus, Hypothenemus eruditus, Phloeosinus machilus, Phloeosinus rudis, Scolytogenes incultus, Xyleborinu...

Euplatypus parallelus (Fabricius, 1801) is one of the most destructive and widely distributed species of Platypodinae. It is an important invasive forest pest and currently spreading rapidly in the world. We made a survey of E. parallelus in rubber forest in Jinghong, Yunnan Province and Fangchenggang, Guangxi Province. E. parallelus was found in r...

A previously unknown bark beetle species, Cryphalus eriobotryae sp. nov. Johnson, 2019 has emerged as a lethal pest of loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) in China. The description of new species has been provided. The new species is distinguished from the other Cryphalus by the weakly aciculate frons, by the antennae, with unevenly spaced procurved sutur...

Species within the Euwallacea fornicatus (Eichhoff) species complex are one of the few ambrosia beetles that infest healthy plants and are a potential phytosanitary threat as it causes considerable damage to many tree species in its native and introduced distribution. We updated the list to 412 plant species in 75 families that are known hosts for...

The redbay ambrosia beetle, Xyleborus glabratus Eichhoff, is native to Southeast Asia, where it specializes on Lauraceae trees. It forms a symbiosis with the ambrosia fungus Raffaelea lauricola T.C. Harr., Fraedrich & Aghayeva, which can act as a pathogen in living host trees. The beetle and fungus were recently introduced into the United States, w...

Thousands of species of ambrosia beetles excavate tunnels in wood to farm fungi. They maintain associations with particular lineages of fungi, but the phylogenetic extent and mechanisms of fidelity are unknown. We test the hypothesis that selectivity of their mycangium enforces fidelity at coarse phylogenetic scales, while permitting promiscuity am...

Xyleborinus artestriatus ( Eichhoff 1878) , an ambrosia beetle with ambiguous existence and distribution in China for a long time, is reported based on specimens from collections since 2016. Morphological descriptions, hosts, and distribution of X. artestriatus are provided. There is a wide distribution of X. artestriatus in the southern China. A k...

Sweetgum is known for its outstanding red leaf in the autumn. It can be an excellent ornamental tree with its star-shaped leaves. Sweetgum makes beautiful additions to landscapes. It is an attractive shade tree in gardens, sidewalks, parks, and streets. Sweetgum tree is also harvested for use in furniture and plywood and have various medicinal uses...

Background . Ambrosia beetles include well-known invasive pests, but most species established in non-native areas do not cause any significant impact. Here we report the recent invasion and rapid spread of Ambrosiodmus minor in the Southeastern US. Methods : We used a combination of a multi-year survey, literature data on fungal symbionts from the...

Background . Ambrosia beetles include well-known invasive pests, but most species established in non-native areas do not cause any significant impact. Here we report the recent invasion and rapid spread of Ambrosiodmus minor in the Southeastern US. Methods : We used a combination of a multi-year survey, literature data on fungal symbionts from the...