The mountain pine beetle Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins is a major native pest of Pinus Linnaeus (Pinaceae) in western North America. Host colonization by the mountain pine beetle is associated with an obligatory dispersal phase, during which beetles fly in search of a suitable host. Mountain pine beetles use stored energy from feeding in the natal habitat to power flight before host colonization and brood production. Lipids fuel mountain pine beetle flight, although it is not known whether other energy sources are also used during flight. In the present study, we compare the level of energy substrates, proteins, carbohydrates and lipids of individual mountain pine beetles flown on flight mills with unflown control beetles. We use a colorimetric method to measure the entire metabolite content of each individual beetle. The present study reveals that mountain pine beetles are composed of more protein and lipid than carbohydrate. Both female and male mountain pine beetles use lipids and carbohydrates as energy sources during flight. There is variation between sexes, however, in the energy substrates used for flight. Male mountain pine beetles use protein, in addition to lipids and carbohydrates, to fuel flight, whereas protein content is not different between flown and control females.

中文翻译：

---

山松甲虫（鞘翅目：Curculionidae：Scolytinae）通过飞行传播的能量使用

山松甲虫 Dendroctonusponderosae Hopkins 是北美西部林奈松（Pinaceae）的主要本地害虫。山松甲虫的寄主定殖与强制性的传播阶段有关，在此期间甲虫飞行寻找合适的寄主。山松甲虫利用在出生栖息地进食而储存的能量在宿主定殖和繁殖之前为飞行提供动力。脂质为山松甲虫的飞行提供燃料，但不知道在飞行过程中是否还使用其他能源。在本研究中，我们比较了在飞行磨机上飞行的单个山松甲虫与未飞行的对照甲虫的能量底物、蛋白质、碳水化合物和脂质水平。我们使用比色法来测量每只甲虫的整个代谢物含量。目前的研究表明，山松甲虫由比碳水化合物更多的蛋白质和脂质组成。雌性和雄性山松甲虫在飞行过程中都使用脂质和碳水化合物作为能量来源。然而，在用于飞行的能量基质方面，两性之间存在差异。除了脂质和碳水化合物之外，雄性山松甲虫还使用蛋白质来为飞行提供燃料，而飞行的雌性和对照雌性之间的蛋白质含量没有差异。