Molecular phylogenies and careful morphological assessment resolves a cryptic species complex in inbred ambrosia beetles

Fungus farming, strange sex, and cryptic speciation! These attributes in combination make the ambrosia beetles important, bizarre, and sometimes difficult to identify. The tiny species Euwallacea fornicatus, or rather an impostor, is invading California, Florida, and Israel and spreading disease to avocados. Using a combination of molecular phylogenetic analysis and careful assessment of morphological characters, we have discovered who’s who and how insect identifiers on the front lines of invasion prevention can tell too!