Dormancy and host preference in Luprops tristis (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae).
Aswathi P., Divya T., Thomas S. K.
Author Affiliation: Post Graduate and Research Department of Zoology, St. Joseph's College, Calicut, India.
Oriental Insects 46 : 270-274
Abstract : Very high abundance, concealment in litter, aggregation in residential buildings, a repelling defensive secretion and absence of natural enemies make control of the home-invading detritivorous tenebrionid beetle, Luprops tristis (Fabricius), difficult. Identification of the feeding preference in relation to the hosts could provide useful information. Study reveals that the feeding preference of post-dormancy phase of L. tristis towards senescent leaves of the hosts, namely rubber, cashew, mango, jackfruit, wild jack, cocoa, cassia and sapota, contrasts with its earlier known high preference towards rubber litter of the pre-dormancy phase. Reasons for the feeding preference variations, fitness consequences of delay in feeding for the post-dormancy adults and the potential of these towards devising a strategy for regulating the population buildup of new generation of beetles are discussed.