Xyleborini ambrosia beetles (Curculionidae: Scolytinae) occur throughout the forests of the world with the highest diversity in the tropics. They are mainly benign species that farm fungus to feed both larvae and adults within dead and dying trees.  However, these beetles are often intercepted at ports of entry and comprise the majority of exotic scolytine beetles in the US. Some species, like the redbay ambrosia beetle (X. glabratus) carry pathogenic fungi which is currently causing ecological destruction in the SE US.  Thus, information on ambrosia beetle distribution is essential for a better prediction of potential new invaders of the US.  

This developing checklist for 268 Neotropical species represents a new resource for assembling locality records, images and associated information for specimens within the SCAN database.  Given that this checklist is in its infancy, the data for only a few species are included. The “Advance Map” allows for detailed exploration of these data.