Biogeography and biology of bark and ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae and Platypodidae) of a mesic montane forest in Mexico, with an annotated checklist of species

We found 103 species in 33 genera of Scolytidae and five species in one genus of Platypodidae in mesic montane forest in the region of Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico. The most distinctive elements of the fauna are the large numbers of species of ambrosia beetles in the tribe Corthylini and twig borers in the Bothrosternini. Neotropical genera, especially those typical of upland areas, formed the largest portion of the fauna. Most species in these genera are restricted to montane habitats of Mexico and Central America. Because mesic montane forest is transitional between highland temperate forests and lowland tropical forests in central Mexico, some mixing occurs and both areas contribute to the fauna. Nonetheless, the scolytid fauna includes a large component restricted to this forest type.